


Endurance Above All Else

by ShadyQuiet



Series: Of Worms and Wolves. [4]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), Sherlock (TV), Spooks | MI-5, X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alpha! James, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Art, Childbirth, F/M, Injury, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Miscarriage Mentioned, Mpreg, Multi, Omega! Q, Pack Dynamics, Past Violence, Predator/Prey, Pregnancy, Shapeshifting, Winter Disasters, Wolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 06:30:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 76,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16738855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadyQuiet/pseuds/ShadyQuiet
Summary: Wolf Law has been re-made. The Run has been abolished.Two wolves now freer from torment than they ever have been in their lives are looking to start welcoming new life into the pack.Winter may be fraught with dangers, but James believes in Q, himself and their pack. They'll have the family they deserve, in the world they created to be safe for their children, and Mother Nature can just sit back and watch them succeed.This work is part of a series, and will not make best sense without reading the other parts first. However the previous 3 instalments have rather dark themes, and if that is not to your tastes then starting here may serve you better.





	1. Hope

**Author's Note:**

> So, after 3 years, a conclusion to this story. (Thanks largely to the prompting of commenters making me get my act together)  
> I hope that any newcomers or returning friends to this story find things to enjoy.  
> Overall this part of Of Worms and Wolves will be a much gentler ride than previous instalments, although you can expect domestic dramas and Nature's whims imposing themselves on the characters.  
> Since this is more of a prologue, I'll pop the first true chapter up today as well.  
> The usual amount of pictures will occur in this story, today's featuring my scribbled map of the important parts of the world, the packs that live there, and the journey Q and James took all those years ago in The Run.

[](https://imgur.com/tSsNcFw)

 

‘Wolf Law’ was a fallacy of a term. Maybe once it had been true, but for all Q knew that was before Blanca and Lobo ever even crossed the mountain. Even then, he couldn’t imagine every wolf in the world following the same set of rules; there were just too many packs, living in too many estranged areas. Not to mention the lone roamers.

What had potentially begun as four packs after the first pack splits happened, had now grown and diversified into four distinct _populations_. Tropic, Lowland, Highland and Arctic.

Highland Wolves lived in the area surrounding No Man’s Land. From the boggy forests of Q’s old home, round to the dry cliffs and creeks where Lestrade and John grew up, up to the mountains of MI6, MI5 and the Omega pack living on MI3’s old pack grounds… Then round to the High Mountains in the west and down to the lake-strewn forests. These wolves used The Run as Mating Law, and could kill therein. As a population they forged mating bonds quickly, requiring only a full heat to have been spent with the potential mate before a bond settled. Mating bonds could be challenged at any time, but had only in recent years been so fractured that they were so weak to it. Killing other wolves was allowed in fights, and even the killing of pups was enforced as punishable by no more than the pack it had happened to.

Each individual pack in the Highlands may put their own perspective on crimes and punishments, further complicating the issue though not the base rules.

For the first time however, Q and James, along with their cohort of loyal wolves within MI6, had the opportunity to change Wolf Law for the better.

The discovered world beyond the divide at the top of Intelligence Pass had provided a solution for the critical alpha-omega imbalance suffered on both sides. If there was to be any future for many of the wolves living on either side of the world, unity was crucial. And as the only pack with access to both those previously unknown omegas, and the ones harboured safely within their territory, MI6 was left with all the political power to wield change for good.

Abolishing a set of long-standing, ill upheld and often cruel dictations that Highland wolves and their new allies were both responsible for, along with condemning The Run once and for all, was only the beginning.

Hastily Mycroft had dubbed the omega-ridden split of the world Aurora, so crowned for their worship of the Aurora lights that danced in their skies at night. For the homeland of MI6 and other packs beyond, their name had been coined Endurance, for the attributes the wolves living there so admired. Within those two sides were scattered packs and cultures as different as night and day, especially on Endurance. Over on Aurora, aside from the pack Q had discovered that was now being run by Eve and Alec, there were three others. Complete numbers were tricky to calculate as Aurora packs tended to have enormous territories and communicated rarely, but they were out there, bereft of alphas.

Getting every pack to commit to a reform of Wolf Law had been almost an indomitable task, and had taken long months of Pack Meets and conferring and relaying messages to Aurora and back. Ensuring that these new laws were upheld would be far from simple. 

Working in their favour was the fact that it was the perfect time for such an escapade. Packs and numbers therein were at an all time low. From the 200 packs that had existed before the start of the Great War –unsurprisingly a horrendous fight for territories and resources during one of the harshest, driest summers remembered, the number of packs had fallen to around 75. Some merged or died out and then decades later the Omega Disease hit. Within 10 years 62 packs dropped to closer to 40. The packs that remained then faced the nightmare that was the after affects of Q’s Run. With the fighting instigated by Silva and Moriarty in the forest, wolves fleeing, the ensuing battle on the mountains and wolves jumping over the heights with Q, the civil unrest that occurred after the fight was over… by the time Mycroft, James and Sherlock had managed to settle things, there were only 12 packs left. And none of these were goliaths as packs like MI6 had once been. 

MI6 itself had merged with MI5 completely since both packs had been decimated in the last few years, and they moved between home ranges as the seasons required. It was only this merger that had left them in comparatively stable numbers.

The other Highland packs in Endurance were limited to comprising of only alphas or betas or both, with unknown numbers of beta pups, and there was no way to account for the number of lone wolves, but even that was fewer.

Out of all these packs, only 9 were interested in the possibility of omegas. That made things slightly more reasonable.

Aurora was positive they wanted to form a bond between the two sides. They were all much in the position Endurance had been a decade earlier; numbers of one gender were nearly non-existent, and they were tumbling towards the precipice of panic and chaos. Given that Q’s unplanned influx of alphas had helped stabilise half of one pack with mates, they had a good ground to stand on as an endorsement.

Thus, work on The Way begun; making the solitary passage Q had travelled safe and faster for more wolves, lined with pit-stops and with provision-stocked check points that were to be manned by wolves and families who wanted to live that sort of solitary life.

Once Q and James had reached Aurora, after months of planning and readying The Way, finally, mercifully, the 12 packs of Endurance, along with the 4 of Aurora were in agreement and held in pact to uphold the new virtues. The debates had been long and arduous back in Endurance of how to manage the logistics, and Q had nearly torn half his hair and tail fur out by the time it was over and settled, but Highland Wolf Mating Law had finally been agreed upon.

After what felt like an age, in Spring Q, James and an escort led the first potential mating group over to Aurora.

One alpha of reasonable mating age from each pack had been chosen, and then vetted by Lestrade, Tanner, Kincaid and Charles, to venture the snowy plateau after the sea and before the glacier of Aurora. Alec and Eve had led 15 curious omegas from Aurora to meet the 9 alphas, and the group had spent two weeks there in a state of excitement, celebration and discussion as the young wolves got to know each other. James and Q left them there, the idea was that they spend some time in an omega-positive environment to help re-enforce the new Laws of respect. After they had spent 2 months with their mates, if they had mated, then they could discuss which party wanted to move packs for good.

Unsurprisingly, in Q’s mind, most had decided to stay, or try to start their own packs, but three pairs had travelled back to their homes in Endurance, protected in a handpicked escort.

There had been some problems, a severe fly-borne disease had taken any pregnancies of young and old wolves that summer in Endurance, and homesickness apparently affected omegas quite badly and there had been no pregnancies whilst they pined. The omegas felt quite isolated, unused to being without their own kind and the new ways of a strange pack. Q did his best to keep in touch with them, but what good was he compared to their families?

Some of the omegas and alphas on both sides had gotten other illnesses. Predators had killed some of the new alphas in Aurora. Life was never going to be easy, but it was better than what there _had_ been. And one thing shone through most clearly of all, the positive approach to mating and bonding had worked, and the mated pairs were almost universally committed and over the moon. Within the packs they slowly settled into, they were treated far better than Q had feared. There was no abuse, no one tried to challenge the bonds, and even with the lack of pups and few numbers that had returned to Endurance, there seemed to be a hope rekindled in the eyes of alphas and betas that gradually replaced fevered desolation. Wolves could see far more clearly that there was a chance, a good one, that they might get mates of their own… if they were willing to step up and better themselves.

Within the mated pairs the bonds grew so strong that few alphas even cared about the lack of pregnancies for worries of their mates, and the omegas who had lost alphas chose not to go to meet another until they had finished grieving.

It was hard to see, but it was so much better than The Runs.

The plan was to hopefully have two groups per year go out, including any omegas or alphas from the Omega pack that wanted to mate when they were old enough.

James had said once, savagely, _‘Better than Silva’s plan’_ with a grin of pride on his face. Q hadn’t dared ask what the depths of Silva’s plan was, he was fairly sure James would never tell him, but he couldn’t help feeling awash with achievement too.

 _They_ had done this, them, their pack, and their friends. It may be a slow start, but compared to recent years it was a hurricane to a glacier. Wolves were happy and being treated appropriately. No wolf could challenge a bond again without good reason, and this was overseen carefully. Only wolves that agreed to the new behavioural laws went to meet potential mates, and even then they had to both agree in order for a courting to be allowed. The murder of pups was now forbidden as one of the greatest sins, along with harming another wolf for personal gain; be that alpha, beta or omega.

There was still a way to go yet, but things were well up and running.

Q couldn’t quite believe they’d done it.


	2. Strive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is mostly written and so updates will be regular and probably bi-weekly.  
> Next update is likely to be Wednesday / Thursday.

[](https://imgur.com/uQVdd7n)

 

Autumn was rapidly descending into what promised to be one of the harshest winters in recent memory. Q, controversially, was quite looking forward to it. For the year their work was done. The omega looked out at the group of merrily mingling alphas and omegas from two sides of the world and felt a smug sense of peace and satisfaction within him. This was the second group of potential mates that had ever met by the new mating law, and it had gone swimmingly. Winter had held its talons back just long enough for the two groups to go through the welcome, to have a hunt and cook together and a night of singing and playing and dancing. Q rather liked the singing, and James the dancing. Alec liked the feast and Eve the hunt. It worked out well for all of them that way.

Now after two weeks of providing some activities, letting the wolves mingle naturally and ask for advice sometimes, or giving it when needed, Q was ready to send them off onto the next half of their adventure; living in an omega-run pack. For a lot of them, it would be an entirely new and bizarre experience. Half of Q wished he could see it just for hilarity’s sake, but Eve and Alec had made sure to tell them all the good stories from last time so it didn’t feel like missing out too much.

The group looked like a promising lot, carefully vetted as much as possible to ensure they weren’t violent or inclined to even worse and more incendiary habits. Lobo’s luck, but so far, they’d only really received some scepticism and hope in the packs back home. Even this group had a couple of wolves who seemed unsure of themselves –omegas and alphas alike- but largely they’d all enjoyed themselves and settled in nicely. All of them had by now gravitated towards certain individuals and Q hoped the best for all of them.

For him and James, and their escort of two alphas and a beta who had travelled over with them, it was time to go home. Winter in MI6 was something Q enjoyed immensely last year. The pack hunkered down and occasionally congregated within the main den, there were hunts but little really needed to be maintained or done. James and Q had spent a lot of the winter before curled up in their den with a fire, or out playing in the snow. It had been private and it had been perfect. The rest of the year had its own ups, but this winter they didn’t have to plan the preparation of The Way, they didn’t have to organise pack meets or new laws. All they had to do was prepare their own pack for winter and then enjoy the quiet.

Q was _hungry_ for it.

They’d had a busy time of it, since he’d returned in June a year and a half ago. It was time to rest and go home.

Q’s tail swished behind him with anticipation, wafting powdery snow from side to side freely until gentle jaws clasped it from behind. Jumping a bit the omega whisked around only to lash his trapped tail more excitedly as he saw Alec grinning around its fluff and James bounding up to nuzzle him.

“Pups.” Eve admonished the two alphas with a smile, sauntering in silently from Q’s other side before running her hand over Alec’s head. Q thought Eve was a bit beautifully mad; she was out here on the frigid slopes clad only in fur boots and a thick fur coat that Alec had made for her. She said she enjoyed feeling the wind up her legs with a wink and made Alec look hungry and growly and James awkwardly flushed and scandalised. “Time for you two to go soon, if you want to get across the ice before it gets dark.”

“Or stay, you could just stay.” Alec offered, finishing his nibbling of Eve’s fingers to grab and playfully tug at Q’s tail once more. Yelping indignantly, Q turned around to stamp on his head, Alec rolled away and James pounced to tackle him. Q and Eve watched the two tumble and race around like a thunderstorm for a minute.

“He’s only joking, we’ll be fine.” Eve assured, honeyed voice confident and amused.

“You have the Bells.”

The Bells were a slightly fallible system of communication between the two divides, but more reliable than howling. All along The Way Q and his team of inventors within MI6, with some pointers from Boothroyd, had strung wire with bells. Occasionally there were stationed larger, hand-rung bells if it was in an area where the wind might set them off accidentally. If any of the checkpoints on The Way had a problem, or needed to reach one end or the other, they would ring the bell for a set period of time -indicative of the sort of response they required- and the ringing would either continue to be passed on or neighbouring check points would investigate the problem, whichever was required.

Whilst imperfect, it was a far cry better than the utter lack of reliable communication they’d had before.

“Yes, providing no one snips a wire again by accident.” Eve confirmed whilst Q grimaced at the memory of some of the failings they’d had setting the system up. Smiling, the female omega sat in the snow and allowed Q to sit on her genially just as he allowed her to hug him and kiss his face and ears. In return, he licked her hair.

“Yes, I’d like a better way through the mountains altogether really, although winter isn’t the best time to plan and test an emergency escape route.” That was the final thing that James, Alec and the two omegas had thought could be a bonus. Call them all cynical, but not a one of them entirely trusted other wolves. Sooner or later, there might be trouble. A pack could get greedy for space, mates, anything. There could be another disease outbreak or fly fever like there’d been last summer in Endurance. Even a war. Whatever the problem, it could prove very useful to not have to take a two-month perilous journey to always reach the other side.

But although Q ‘had a few ideas’, he had even more doubts as to whether any of them even stood a hope of working.

“If anyone can do it, you can.” The amused, fond encouragement was accompanied by Eve tenderly ruffling his scruff. Q huffed into her hair and snuffled for a long moment. He was going to miss her and Alec again desperately; although at least now he knew he could always get back. And it was definitely time to go home.

-00Q00-

Leaving Alec was always something of a wrench for James. By extension walking away from Eve and their pups, and the new group of hopeful mates was difficult. There were always so many doubts and suspicions rife in his mind. Everything from spies in the network to the likely bitter winter approaching. Alec had picked up on at least one of his worries, doubtless more but both of them knew to only voice some things.

“Be careful this winter, it’s going to be a bad one. I can feel it.” James grunted in agreement, turning to follow Alec’s gaze to their mates and mingled pack. Alec came from further north than James originally, and he had no idea how but the other alpha had some sixth sense for the weather. If Alec thought it would be bad, then it would.

“Take care of him, and yourself.” Alec nodded at Q; always so thin and still, James thought, of slightly dubious health after what life had put him through. Q was tough, but James knew better then most that his body could be prone to delicacies. Something their pack didn’t need to know, like the fact his heats rarely fell exactly on time, that he sometimes still struggled to sleep through the night, that he still got ravenous and kept food stashed around their den just in case… Small things, incremental things, but ones that James both treasured knowing and guarded for best as he could.

“You too, watch out for those pups of yours. They’ll be monsters by next year.” Alec laughed at his words with pride dancing in his eyes as well as a father’s rueful fear of what his children were capable of.

“Damn it if you aren’t right about that.” His and Eve’s four pups were vibrant and vital, precocious young things. They’d all come out with ridiculously curled hair too, now that they were toddling about in their skin. The sight of them often took James’ breath away in secondary pride and not a small amount of longing. 

Maybe that was the final mark of Q’s challenges in life taking their toll, but through a myriad and combination of factors he’d never carried pups to term. Not that the alpha’s spend had never taken root within him, but to both their knowledge Q had only been pregnant once, and then only for a painfully short space of time where they hadn’t even known of it for sure until it was too late.

Pregnancy fallacies weren’t uncommon for wolves, especially ones living in the mountains. But as a pair they’d been unluckier than most.

Q had four heats a year, even on his ‘two weeks early one week late’ schedule that was random and perhaps a little delightful if it didn’t send James into palpitations that he had nothing prepared.

His first heat after their long separation had come with low expectations. Not to mention that James, after talking to John, had been _careful_ not to get Q pregnant… as much as an alpha could be with an omega in heat anyway. Both Q and John had agreed with James that the omega’s health was in delicate enough recovery as it was, their bond only recently re-established, and any extra effort placed on his body would have been selfish and possibly dangerous, for both pups and mother.

So they’d cheated their way through Q’s weak heat with soporific herbs and pleasuring each other in every creative way they could think of that didn’t result in a knot.

September, their next heat, coincided with work occurring on The Way back to Aurora. James and Q were deep in the tunnels helping to guide their team along the paths and line it with provisions and light, create check points, when Q had slipped in to heat two weeks early and nearly given James a heart attack.

_“Not a fun one.”_ Q would always say, remembering that one. It had been all James could do to crowd Q into the large alcove they were forming as a check point, snarling and growling at the placating whining and tentative wolves who were with them to help with the excavation. He’d spent that heat crouched over Q guarding him with the omega crying for privacy beneath them and their pack whimpering as they pushed small titbits of food and water towards the pair, equally torn between being unable to abandon their leading pair, leaving them unguarded and in need of supplies, and the simple fact that they didn’t really know where they could go to get away. Thankfully it had been a short heat, because it was awful and unsatisfying and slightly traumatising to all involved. Still, some of those wolves went on to volunteer to man that checkpoint, so it must have been amusing to some of them.

As a result of the unplanned heat, they hadn’t needed to return to Endurance, and had managed to push on to finish The Way. That December they’d reached the Aurora pack, and Q led them with a joyful howl up the final slope to meet his pack brother for the first time in two years. Not to mention the pack Q had lived with, and his friend’s _mate_. Q had laughed at him when James had greeted her very, very carefully, but he couldn’t help it; Eve was Alec’s _mate_. Lobo he’d never thought he’d see the day. In the reverse, Alec had all but bowled Q over and nearly broken one of the omega’s legs, but he never had high hopes for Alec learning manners. They’d spent weeks there, planning Mating Laws and rules of engagement, an area to meet, ways to communicate, everything. Q had shown him around. Shown his alpha the tiny hole, barely big enough for a grown wolf to turn around in, that Q had used as a den and for his heats. It hurt everything in James to see it, and when Q had his heat before they left, James had coaxed him into a larger, abandoned den away from the pack slightly in the forest. It had been more of a fun one, but they had a long way to travel back and James didn’t want Q pregnant for it. They’d cheated their way through it again helped by the need James felt to guard the den half the time in such an unfamiliar area. He hadn’t forgotten Q’s stories of the bears.

Their return from Aurora had meant the creation of new laws, communication with the other packs and choosing wolves to go over to meet potential mates. Q’s March heat had passed a little late but without other incident, he hadn’t become pregnant but James put it down to the stress of all the Pack Meets and talks they had to organise. It had been a trying time for all of them before they could lead that first group through The Way successfully.

June, June was the heat that troubled James to think of. Or, not the heat so much, although Q’s heat had been the burning, exhausting kind; loosing as much body fluid through sweat as he did through slick. The MI6 pack had moved down to the old MI5 grounds for the summer; an unbelievably hot one where wolves were baking on the exposed mountain, so they’d moved to the forest for tree cover and coolness. The winter before had been so warm that the cold hadn’t sufficiently killed off the insects. There were too many flies breeding in the stagnant water and fever from the biting flies had taken down half the pack with lethal acuteness. Q had fallen to it badly, along with John, their pack’s resident miracle worker. Sherlock had cared for his mate and succumbed alongside him, both of them fighting to look after the other. James had ushered Tanner down with Q when he fell ill and cared for them both within their temporary den as best he could whilst keeping an eye on the pack.

Mycroft had lost stones in weight from the heat but sensibly retreated to higher ground the instant he saw the sickness descend, taking Lestrade and a handful of others with him and tried to manage the panicked pack best he could from the distance. But Mycroft was a planner; he was no leader of wolves. He’d urged James to move with him but he couldn’t when Q was becoming so weak and asking him to stay. If his pack went down, so would James. A concept Mycroft failed to comprehend, and thus would never command a pack. Lestrade assured James he’d keep things running whilst the blonde alpha stayed with his wolves. With Greg as the Eldest Holmes’ foil, James was free to worry as much as he needed.

And he needed to, a lot. They lost far too many wolves. The old, and the young were taken almost universally. Anyone who was pregnant lost their pups, and if far along lost their own lives by association. It would go on to cause most of their mates to fall victim to the disease themselves.

Worse, he’d come back from checking on the sick to find Q convulsing in pain, Tanner trying to soothe him as best he could, whining and licking the omega’s ears whilst he trembled and whimpered. James had held him through it, panicked beyond his life and doing all he could to help. After what felt like a lifetime Q had calmed, blinked open his fevered eyes to meet James’ with a flat, blank look of abject exhaustion, and turned around to lick between his legs. There’d been blood. In hindsight, James could only be thankful that there wasn’t more, and that Q hadn’t fallen pregnant the heat before. If he had been, James would probably be looking at a dead mate, rather than the lost remains of an unknown, fragile start of life.

For all the Highland packs, it had been the worst plague since the one that blighted them of omegas all those years ago.

They’d had to move on quickly, something of a blessing for their own depression. They’d had to help their pack. Q moved among them soon as he was able consoling and offering the comfort only an omega and pack leader could, helping with caring for the sick despite being fatigued. James contacted Mycroft and Lestrade, and began to enforce a strict quarantine and medical plan. It was quite grim work, separating family members, mates, friends, but had to be done to survive. The sick could now only be taken care of by those who had already contracted and fought off the disease. It meant James himself having to leave his mate and issue orders and manage the pack from above.

It gained them the support of every single wolf in their pack, that their leaders dedicated themselves and got the remainder of the pack through. Their numbers had been almost halved by the disease, but the surety and conviction, sympathy in the face of the disaster gave the pair of them a lot of credit. They were trusted, and it felt good, if bittersweet.

At least, James had reflected silently, that shockingly large escape of blood stark against Q’s cream fur a blighted imprint on his mind, they knew Q could get pregnant.

A few months ago in September James and Q were planning to lead the second group over the mountains. Faced with the prospect of Q being pregnant for such a journey, or leaving him behind and undefended, they’d tricked their way through once more. John had handed them the soporific herbs with something that looked like pity, or resignation, and James couldn’t blame him.

Wolves were meant to _want_ to have pups, it was what their whole mating was biologically geared towards, and Lobo knew they’d waited long enough. To be put in a position where they were unable to raise a family, it was a little breaking. Everything in James resented feeding Q the soporific tea through his heat, when the omega was writhing for something more, and then to sit vigil over him whilst Q slept fitfully, both of them unsatisfied and longing. But it was better than the alternative by far.

He just prayed to Blanca that the years of hard going and utilising such methods, the uncared for months Q spent travelling alone, the fly strike, even Silva’s teeth closing on Q so close to his precious womb hadn’t left irreparable damage. They were finally, after years, about to enter a time when all they would have to worry about was their pack and each other. No travelling, no planning, just months spent in their den and pack grounds.

In the alpha’s mind, it was perfect, and the perfect opportunity.

Winter pregnancies posed challenges of course. Shortages of food and warmth being the most obvious. There was also the fact that pregnant wolves needed to shift regularly, every three days or so, between forms to give an embryo the chance to shift with it; an initially slow process as the little ones developed the ability alongside their mothers. Q would need to be kept warm and safe enough to shift into his more vulnerable skin at will. And for the last month of pregnancy he would be too large to shift back into human form at all if he was carrying multiples.

The benefits, however, potentially outweighed the costs in James’ mind. Pups conceived in winter would be born and weaned in spring and summer, a time of new food, warmer temperatures and plenty of available supporting pack members for assistance. Good weather for them to grow and fatten up before their first winter. Spring-born children tended to be seen as lucky, a blessing from Blanca where conditions to carry to term were so challenging.

A pup’s first shift, about a year after birth, into their vulnerable skins would likewise be in spring. A good time for tender little toes, grass blades rather than ice or mud.

As long as James considered himself capable of guarding and helping Q through a difficult winter pregnancy, especially given the consensus that this was going to be a bitter one, there was no doubt that this would be the best time.

Q was tough, and keen for pups, that much James knew. His mate hid the want for a family under the work they had to do, but really they’d both put it off too long. Q spent every spare moment he could helping to teach and play with the young betas in MI6 or the omega pack pups. Not to mention that as leaders and figureheads there was a not so small amount of pressure to have their own progeny that had dogged them from their very first meeting.

James was a little surprised Mycroft hadn’t had an embolism yet, and John was obviously worried that the longer they went without the more likely they’d never be able to have pups. They’d _needed_ this time though; there wouldn’t have been a decent chance before now of giving a family the time they wanted to… Now that it had hit though, the want had hit James hard.

Even now, crossing the frozen sea to head back home, James glanced at Q to his side and almost salivated at the image of him round and full and pupped. The alpha was nearly beside himself with the desire that had sprung up so severely. But Lobo damn it, he’d waited long enough.

-00Q00-

Five wolves loped down the snow and ice slopes to the frozen sea. James and Q, along with three pack members; Logan, Ronson and Morstan, made a small and fast group of travellers.

The team had been thoughtfully hand picked by James before setting off with Q, as he always did. Logan was a dependable and tough alpha who was used to being around omegas, living with the pack of them as he did, and was easily protective of Q as a result. Ronson was a younger alpha, showed promise and loyalty above all else. James knew him to be quick, strong and good in a pinch as much as the older and grizzled Logan, if not as experienced or demented. Morstan was the only female in their company and a beta with medical training. John vouched for her, and James had mainly picked her so that there was someone who could keep an eye on Q.

No matter how many times they did this journey without problems, James could only too easily recall how Q had looked after his first attempt. And now that he was planning children, Q’s health was at the forefront of his mind even more than usual. Q didn’t need to know that. The omega would hardly appreciate the coddling, but James would do it regardless for his mate.

He’d passed it off easily enough with the fact that they usually had a medic for this journey, but on the side he’d instructed Mary that Q was her priority, above anyone else.

The pair got along easily enough, so it was no bother to Q, and James found himself able to let out deep breaths whenever they reached a base point and Mary called out for a ‘group check’. Logan and Ronson hadn’t done the journey before, they didn’t fight with the procedure though the older grouched at it, and Q eyed James with some exasperated amusement but said nothing.

“You too, Leader.” Mary beckoned him over as they came to a pause on the frozen sea, Q trotting off to the side with a smirk as he sniffed the air.

“I’m fine.”

“Rules are rules.” She insisted, fairly smug herself and for a moment James regretted letting her and Q get so close to the point where they could double up on him. But to keep his cover he had to agree.

“Fine.” The alpha padded over whilst Logan teased Ronson a bit for slipping on the ice. Q kept his eyes on the horizon of the open sea where the ice was thinner.

James had never seen the giant fish beast that had attacked from a hole in the sea ice during Q’s first crossing, but they had met the seals the last time they passed through.

Sherlock was the one to name the creatures. The beta had found them fascinating, when he and John travelled as far down The Way as the sea on a provisions trip in the spring.

Now the landscape was eerily quiet without their raucous cries and pungent smell. The light, dusty snowfall settled on the dark surface as if to conceal it and James noticed the wolves around him grow on edge with the drop in wind. Mary finished up running her nose over his paw pads quickly, and James gave the command to move on in low, firm tones.

Q kept close to him, Mary in the middle of the group and the two alphas behind, each wolf’s nose pointing in a different direction as they moved along. Other than cracks in the ice, it wasn’t the sea you needed to look out for.

James stiffened as the musky scent caught his nose seconds before the huge, white creature burst at them with a roar from the snow bank. He’d had no time to warn the others and now they scattered yelping as the white bear dove into their line.

Paws slipped on the ice and James scratched on claws to turn himself around and face the predator. It was large, and powerful, fast, but he’d rather face it head on. It’s head and body were down on the ice and James’ blood ran cold, he could see snow kicking up and screams from where Ronson thrashed under its jaws. Logan was barking and growling at it from the side, keeping it from killing as it turned towards him annoyed, taking a threatening step as if to swat a second fly.

“Logan bring him round!” Q shouted from the side, already having slashed one of their packs open to scatter ready-to-eat food and preparing to run again. James waited for the moment the bear turned enough that he was in it’s blind spot and dashed forwards as Logan drew it away.

“Mary!” James barked and the beta joined him to sprint across to Ronson and the reddened ice beneath him. The alpha was slipping as he tried to run and couldn’t for the gruesome wound on his flank. Mary skidded to a halt beside him and began a low, soothing litany of words, shifting briefly, bravely into her skin to lash cloth across his wound and tighten it.

It might have been the new scent that did it. The bear turned back and James was sure he saw murder in its eyes at the sight of others around its kill. The alpha leapt over the other two with his fur on end and showed his teeth at the bear. The scent of blood in his nose changed to beast, and the white target was what his eyes narrowed on, his heart sped but didn’t overwhelm him in panic as focus descended on the wolf.

Until Logan rushed in like a mad hare.

Seeing his chance and danger the alpha had snarled and hurled himself at the bear, grabbing a mouthful of fur and yanking it hard to turn it’s attention. With a roar that shook the ice the thing turned and swatted, Logan dodged, and it gave chase. To his credit the dark wolf headed for the food but the bear was faster.

“Get him to land!” James called to Mary, and ran after his chased pack as the bear bowled both itself and its prey over on the frictionless ice.

Mary was hauling up Ronson as James ran when he saw Q leaping from a distance to spin in a move he’d learnt somewhat clumsily from James, hurling sharp daggers at the bear in an effort to pause it. One struck in the joining of foreleg to body where the fur was thinner and frustrated it roared. Logan scampered out from beneath it and kicked some of the food closer to it but it followed his movement towards Q, who was running to help Mary.

Swearing James turned direction fast he could as the bear did the same.

“Q watch out!” He bellowed, the bear bowled over Logan again, spying it’s original prey, and Q paused, glanced at Mary pulling Ronson along, and James felt sick as Q skidded, turned to stand his ground.

The omega could see Logan regrouping, James closing in. If the creature didn’t kill them then together they could bother it enough to give up for an easier meal. The alpha hated the logic as much as he understood it. James put on enough speed to barge into solid muscle and rippling white fur as Q dodged an attack. Logan swung to get it from the other side. Q dashed around to grab at where the spine might be and all three wolves held on with sharp jaws until the monstrous creature _shook_.

James closed his eyes as he felt ground leave his paws and the lose coat of fur led his jaws; drug his body so sharply his neck cracked into flying into the air. He let go only once he knew what way up was and had to bounce of the bear’s back and avoid claws when he hit the ice. Logan was still hanging on but Q was smacked into the ice and gasped, winded, letting go. The creature zoned in on its easiest target but had to twist to get to Q. James was faster.

With a silence bourn of practiced lethality James leapt as the great snout turned and aimed for the one weak spot every animal shared. Blood poured hot into his mouth as James’ sharp fangs snapped into muscles and bone and eye. The bear’s roars became anguished and it’s swiping transmuted into flails of pain as it thrashed to get James off.

He let go before it could catch him with deadly claws and Logan snapped at it’s heals until the half blinded and harassed creature hurried away in a lolloping gait, soon lost in the ice and white.

“Lobo damn _bears_.” Logan swore, shaking his likely bruised jaw out and remaining on lookout in that direction as James went for Q.

“I’m alright, I think.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” James countered with, very carefully nosing up Q who winced on his front left paw. He kept his growl to a minimum only just. Q shook out his leg and could totter on it just fine, so probably only bruised. But even that was too much. “Try not to use it, lean on me.”

“Fucking bears.” Q breathed out, groaning as he shifted to lean on James.

“Fucking bears.” Logan agreed, walking at crab-angles to them as he kept an eye out for the predator’s return.

Mary was holding her concern together tightly as they reached the pair hidden in an alcove of sharp rocks on the shore.

“It’s not lethal, but he’s unconscious, he won’t be able to walk.” Logan cursed again and let the beta tut at his new bleeding scratches. Other than a few bruises under his fur, and a strained jaw, James felt fine. Q was prescribed ice and rest once they reached the safety of the next base camp. All of them shifted wincingly into skin to climb the slope, pulling tough hide over their feet first. Logan and James took turns in carrying Ronson or keeping watch. Q could walk fine on his feet and Mary went ahead to alert the watch post of their situation.

They travelled up slowly, Q carrying what remained of their packs and favouring his injured arm. Ronson’s limp, bloodied form hung heavily from James’ arms as a reminder that there was always an un-planned for danger that could catch you unawares.

When they were back home, he was going to have to keep Q in the den for a week to forget about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a behemoth but I wanted to get some action in there at the end rather than setting the scene. For any wondering or unawares, James is the cream coloured wolf, Logan (stolen from x men and playing a minor role) the wolf in the middle and Q the gorgeous fluff ball on the right hand side.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.


	3. Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all who kudos'd and reviewed so far, I was a little unsure of what reception I'd get after all this time, and you've all given me a wonderful confidence boost, you lovely people.
> 
> Some NSFW in this chapter, just FYI!  
> Next update should be Saturday / Sunday.

[](https://imgur.com/8ZYoQw0)

 

The base camp wolves were nearly panicked at the sight of the battered wolves coming up the mountain, but they’d at least had time to prepare for them. One kindly beta male had put a thick stew on whilst his mate hastily arranged room for Ronson to be lain down. James growled the female away from his injured pack member a bit in warning until she moved him very _very_ carefully. Ronson still whimpered near-silently as he was tended to by Mary’s hands.

Logan was guided to a bowl of food and a fur and Q faffed over minutely, thoroughly nosed into a comfortable position and given a hide of ice for his arm to go with his meal. James kept an eye on his mate but mostly watched out for Ronson.

The man wouldn’t be able to be moved for a couple of days until he had healed. Maybe longer. Mary confirmed as much with a shake of her head.

“What d’ya want to do bub?” Logan asked, hunched over his bowl of food and sitting protectively close to Q in lieu of James’ presence.

“This is The Way. We don’t leave a wolf behind.” Q reminded quietly, holding the ice to his shoulder. “Besides we could all use a day off after that; the tunnel’s no place to stagger about in.”

“Q’s right, doubly on the second account. We should re-evaluate in a couple of days. I don’t want any of you three,” she indicated James, Logan and Q, “heroes deciding to do anything brave in there.”

“How very flattering you are.” James smirked. His response served as the agreement that he was otherwise loath to give. ‘Never leave a wolf behind’ was a rule of his own making, but he was desperate to get Q back in good time, for _once_ , for his heat. The visceral _need_ to have Q comfy and settled was honestly overwhelming him a bit.

He didn’t want to leave Ronson here though, even with another wolf, or sending a team back for them, it felt like poor gratitude.

“Sleep, all of you.” Mary commanded, tugging up furs around Ronson’s shivering form. Q rolled his eyes good-naturedly and moved to lie on a fur next to James near Ronson. The alpha was grateful for Q’s sensitivity, he was loath to leave either Mate or injured unprotected. Logan huffed down nearest the door and the other two betas retreated into their den after James shot them a few words of thanks.

With his pack in order, Mary settling down herself to watch her patient, James slid next to Q and carefully eased the omega into leaning on his chest, stroking his back soothingly when he winced.

It would be a long night for James, but at least in the morning, when Logan was groaning with every movement, Ronson remained unconscious, Q’s left arm had swollen to twice it’s normal size and his own neck seized with cramps whenever he tried to turn it to the right, the alpha was saved from having to make any kind of decision; they’d make a piss poor travelling party at best like this.

The betas had the kindness not to laugh at their collective sorry state and instead served them more nourishing food and kept them warm and entertained with stories of what they’d seen out on the ice this season.

-00Q00-

“This is taking too long.” James muttered eventually, after a good few hours of careful encouragement and prodding on Q’s part. “We need to get home.” The omega frowned out over the increasingly wintry landscape of the frozen sea, watching the snow gently freefall to the rocks and ice, smothering them white. His mate had been acting strange since the attack, and whether it was worry for Q or not, considering leaving an injured pack member behind was, well, odd for James at best. It had still taken a good day to get the truth out of him though.

“We don’t have to hurry, winter is one of the safer times to cross, even when we get into pack territory, it won’t be very bad weather, not yet.” The reasoning was sound enough. They’d both done this journey a fair few times by now. Granted, encountering a white bear was more misfortunate than usual, especially given their smaller numbers this trip. James, however, growled a bit in disagreement and turned to Q, gently running a hand up his injured arm. The bruised skin shivered pleasantly under the contact.

“Your heat’s soon.” Ah, yes. Well that always did make James a bit more protective, but still.

“We have enough time to get back, even with a week’s rest-“

“Not this time.” Q blinked in surprise as James turned to him. The alpha merely stared burningly for a moment before his glacier eyes softened, running briefly over Q and back up to his eyes. On the younger wolf’s arm the hold gentled further whilst still wrapping around his shoulder. His other hand was amazingly warm even in this weather as it slid under Q’s unharmed one, under shirt and an over-fur to press firmly over his belly.

All Q could do was steady his confused blinking as James’ eyes locked on his.

“Q, I want you pupped.” James seemed to give Q a moment for all the air to squeeze silently from his lungs seemingly from his widening eyes before continuing with a rueful smirk. “Neither of us can prepare for that whilst we’re in the mountains.”

“So bloody certain.” Q half laughed out; a bit giddy and a lot shocked. Still he couldn’t help but feel the thrum of want in his fingers and curling toes, the flutter of nerves in his stomach under James’ hand. As if sensing the butterflies the alpha pressed a little harder on his mate, hold contrasting beautifully with the gentle one on Q’s arm and the omega found himself dreaming in the day with only the few words James had said.

They’d never managed it, at least not even a quarter of the way, but the thought of having little bundles of fur of their own was intoxicating. Even just one pup, maybe starkly pale and striking like James, or dark and forest-toned like Q? Watching them grow, learn, be happy and free like Q was in childhood, grow up in a better world, if they could. That would be… giving warmth and safety and happiness despite everything they’d been through, maybe it was selfish, but especially after spending so much time with the omega pack and their growing pups, and the beta pups in the main pack, Q couldn’t help but want to prove that he and James _could_. That wolf kind, or at least their own pack, had come far enough that this world was _safe_ for pups.

Something in him would refuse having them otherwise, of that Q was sure.

Or at least that’s what he had to comfort himself with on the bad nights where he could remember Moriarty, remember Silva. Though the thought was unreasonable at best. He’d met Severine and Charles, two strong omegas in their own rights; he wouldn’t have stood any more chance than them of not siring the pups of someone who’d harmed them. But the thought helped him sleep at the worst times.

And now he’d never have to find out at all.

It would be their final great achievement, conquering everything the world had thrown in their faces and raising a family with the one they had chosen to be with.

“I am. If you want it too-“

“ _Yes_.” A held back grin nearly broke free on James’ face.

“Then I want to see you round and heavy with our pup, and I’m going to keep you in our den until I can feel you’re full with them.” His hand slid suggestively lower to press over where Q would start to grow with pups when they rooted in his womb.

“Fuck yes.” Even that much attention and thought directed towards the small seed of longing he’d held for a while was intoxicating. Since the summer, with the flies, he’d even been cautious to suggest trying, and when he hadn’t fallen pregnant the time before that, and when they’d cheated and tricked and _denied_ the possibility so many times…

Q’s hand slid over James’ to twine their fingers over his fluttering belly and he tilted his head to nuzzle against James’ lips, the man pressing kisses back at him, turning to small bites and a tangle of tongues and heat. Q’s injured arm gingerly wrapped around James’ shoulders to tug into his hair, pulling the alpha closer and into a better angle. James’ hand rubbed Q’s stomach, fingers squeezing slightly until the omega was pressed back against the rocks and the alpha could lick down his neck to bite over the claim mark.

Yelping in pleasure Q reflected that they’d had to be too damn mature for too long, and with a smirking laugh at the feel of James’ teeth on him wriggled both his arms free to raise them up and slap down on the deliciously toned muscle of his mate’s buttocks, tugging him closer firmly. James jolted with a growling laugh at the slap and playfully shook at Q’s neck a little with his teeth as the younger man hummed in satisfaction, the slight burn in his injured shoulder well worth the squeeze beneath his fingers.

“Bloody minx.”

“Brute. _Come on_.” Q humped a little at James’ groin cradled in his own hips and the alpha growled with amusement.

“Not before you, gorgeous.” James’ hand squished at the flesh of his stomach and rubbed as he turned his attention to licking and mouthing at Q’s ear. “Have to save myself for your heat now, I know how you get.”

“You’re no better!” Q accused breathlessly, James’ breath hot against his skin when the man moaned theatrically.

“You’re right, I like a taste of you, and you always writhe so beautifully on my tongue.” It was hard, in multiple ways, but Q managed through a throat tight in arousal and his bucking hips gaining friction to form words.

“Charming, as ever. Like you’re not a greedy git for me.” He had to pause to gasp as James ground down into him and left him writhing. Grinning, flushed, he turned to whisper in James’ ear as the alpha growled, spare hand long since roamed down to play with Q’s rump through the trousers until Q was sure he was getting them damp. “Think _just_ how much time you’ll have to do that when we’re trapped in our den over the winter.”

“You’ll be too plump to escape, I might just ravish you all day. Awfully wet now, Q, someone will smell you back in the den.”

“Then fucking deal with it, come on, please- _fuck_ not like that!” But his hips still stuttered as James managed to pick a hole through the seat of his trousers and forced two fingers through to crook inside him, relentlessly rolling hips into his aching groin from the other side.

“Don’t like people knowing how much you’re mine? Come on, Q, come out here in the _wild_ for me.” James bucked his hips again and Q cursed at him, pulling the alpha impossibly close and grinding desperately between the friction and the slowly growing number of fingers up his arse that were _spreading_ and-

James was the one left cursing when his orgasm rocked him blissfully for a long, gasped minute. Lying out there in the falling snow on the uncomfortable rocks with his muscles trying to draw James in and the alpha dutifully stretching his digits as much as possible to give his omega something to cling onto.

They drifted like that for a while, clothes wet from Q’s release and the powdery precipitation around them. James still hard and aching even as he visibly tried to calm himself down.

“James, come on,” Q breathed, relaxing and still speared with fingers as his hand drifted to the older man’s cock. With a rough groan of longing the blonde pushed his hand away, removing his fingers but cupping Q’s buttocks through his clothing once again.

“No, I meant what I said.”

“Huh?” Q replied, feeling a mix of immense relaxation and slight disappointment at not having a true knot to sustain that feeling of bliss.

“I’m going to fill you, and you’re going to get pregnant.”

At least now he could see why James was so keen to get home. If the man was forgoing orgasms to aid his new mission, then his determination had clearly reached unprecedented heights.

-00Q00-

Ronson woke the afternoon James talked to Q about his desires. The alpha was relieved to see his subordinate conscious and tried to comfort the younger man as he panicked a little upon waking bedridden.

“It’s alright, you’re safe, no lasting damage, some battle scars maybe. But no walking for now.” Ronson’s foggy eyes struggled for a few seconds to grasp the words before nodding.

“Will you, will you go on?” Some guilt twisted James’ gut at the bleary question, Mary’s eyes sharpened onto his in the background suspiciously. Just one look into his pack member’s eyes, and a glance over at where Q and Logan were preparing a meal in the corner with the other betas, swayed James’ heart.

“Pack stays together, we won’t leave you. We got a little banged up too anyway.”

Later on the decision did little to placate the now gnawing frustration at being stuck in a cave when he could be getting back home to prepare for a pregnancy with Q. Mary seemed approving, and other than Q and Logan the other wolves seemed not to notice his growing frustration. As one day turned to two, and he could feel time ticking by, James begun to panic a little that if they couldn’t leave soon, they wouldn’t be able to do this. He didn’t want Q to have another heat in these damn tunnels.

-00Q00-

“Q, hey bubs, wake up.” The persistent nudging at his flank left Q grumbling awake and turning to face Logan. The dark and sturdy wolf had his ears laid flat back and was looking at him rather worriedly.

“What?”

“You might want to do something about that before James wakes up and smells you.”

“…What?” Q repeated, voice sharper with confusion, but not by much. Logan awkwardly, tentatively nudged his nose under Q’s back leg, raising it, and the omega felt a spike of shock at the feel of wetness on his fur. “Oh Blanca.” Quickly ducking around to clean himself, already listening with rising panic for the sounds of anyone waking in the den, Q chastised himself.

His body had been a little sensitive and unpredictable since recovering his heat cycles from going through the mountains and starving himself out of them. They could be early, or late, start suddenly or have a long, drawn out warm up of anything up to two weeks…

And he’d spent half the last couple of days fantasising about having little pup noses nudge up against him, and the other half dreaming about James fucking him pregnant with that look of aroused determination in his eyes that the man had had when he promised the same thing out loud. Damn if he hadn’t been pushing back his desire to start a family with James for far too long. During his time on the other side of the mountains with the Aurora pack he’d seen omegas that walked around near-constantly wet from lack of mates and pups.

 _Q you idiot. You’re putting yourself into heat._ The omega chastised himself as he cleaned up frantically, Logan having lost the ability to look guilty and was now watching rather avidly as Q did his best to lick away slick without arousing himself further. The omega could hardly blame himself for being easily worked up however; he and James had much less chance to be intimate on these long lupine journeys to the other side compared to the rather enthusiastic time they enjoyed in their den at home.

With over half his heats unfulfilling for the past couple of years, Q liked to blame his subconscious, the desperate thing, whenever he got into such a state. They’d worked far too hard for far too long to avoid this.

Finishing up Q tucked his tail between his legs and slunk over towards James with his rear low to the ground in case he needed to sit down to fend off being humped. Logan was a good friend, but he was an alpha, and Q had apparently been sleeping in a dripping ball by him all night as James slept guarding the entrance. He couldn’t be really close to true heat, or else his mate would have woken by now. But getting wet in his fur was a sure sign that it would be soon.

His movement seemed to shake the dark alpha out of his trance, maybe reminding him of the odd gait of Charles who Logan frequently got a little excited around until Erik chased him away. Really, Q almost wondered if Charles didn’t half like the attention in some way, he was certainly the most outgoing of them all in that respect.

“Anything I can do bubs?” Logan asked, shaking his head and voice clearing.

“Pack us up some food and water, I don’t think we’ll be staying.” Logan snorted at that, but did as he was told.

Ronson’s nose twitched even in his human form as Q passed and the omega hurried over to James, burrowing into his scruff and sticking his face half under the alpha’s neck, burying forwards as if to hide himself there.

James woke with a start at the feel of a wolf trying to heft underneath him.

“Q, gorgeous, what?” The sleep fell from the alpha swiftly as it usually did and Q looked up at him with slightly embarrassed eyes from his hiding place safely under the top half of James’ bulk, watching his mate’s nostrils flare.

“We might have to leave earlier than expected.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week's picture features 2 new wolves, Mary Morstan (from Sherlock as a minor character here) as the cream & brown wolf, and Ronson (minor character from Casino Royale, who I thought deserved to live in this fic) as the blanketed wolf.  
> To any interested, I enjoy trying to give slightly different looking coat types to different wolves, so Logan looks a little wild in the fluff department!
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.


	4. Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, basically just a whole bunch of good old NSFW heat.

[](https://imgur.com/p4pcaBC)

 

Heat was, as always with wolves, something of a universal allowance. With Q’s beginning what seemed like a slow burn start their hosts, Mary, Logan and even Ronson were only too happy to chivvy them on. Mary and Ronson would catch up with them, and Logan would go along for protection in case Q did go into heat and James had to attend to him, in which case they’d need a guard and someone to bring them food.

Logan had the sense to run ahead of the mated pair by enough paces that they were neither chased, blocked nor crowded. The movement seemed to help keep Q’s heat at bay and with the combined motivation of necessity and anticipation for everything working out as James had originally planned it, more or less, they managed to run skidding back into the main pack lands of MI6 in a record breaking one and a half weeks of having left the base camp in the tunnels.

As soon as they were safe in home-territory, and at a location where Logan could escape, the three parted ways.

“I’ll go let the omega pack know, I’m sure they’ll want to send you some stuff. And soon as you can you’ll have to come visit or there’ll be an uprising.” Logan grumbled out, ducked his head a little in respect to them, and loped off in his pack’s direction.

After nearly two desperate weeks of travelling, Q wasn’t entirely sure that he was going to go into heat ever or was about to any second. He stood panting lightly but with legs locked and shaking not from weakness, but tension.

“Q-“

“James, get me home now.” Because whilst Q had grown to have every confidence, sometimes too much so, in his own abilities from the awkward adolescent he’d been, there was only so much one wolf could take. And James, his almost atrociously competent and stunning mate, would gladly handle the rest. The alpha in question straightened, gorgeous sun-kissed-snow coat glossy in the light and puffed up proud. He turned neatly around Q to come to the omega’s side and licked a long tongue stripe over the nearest cream eye patch on his mate.

“Stay close to me.”

There was little fear of that, and James guided them back down the mountain to their achingly welcome den.

James waited, silent and sentinel, till his younger mate crawled through the narrowing into their den, before throwing up his nose to howl their return to the rest of the pack. Better now than earlier, where they may well have been impeded by the pack’s welcome.

Without even pausing to shake the snow off himself Q padded over to their impressive collection of furs, transformed into his skin and rolled sumptuously in the bedding. Exhaustion nagged at him, and he’d need all the strength he could get, so with the grounding scent of James entering the den, and the crisp winter scents of the mountain airing their sanctuary, Q tumbled into a deep if slightly need-fevered sleep.

Watching over his mate, James would only leave the den twice more, once to howl for supplies and that heat had tempered his mate, and secondly to collect a healthy set of offerings by the gift tree. Blankets, plentiful food and goods from so many eager wolves that the gifts had been bound to a sled for James to tow back.

It seemed that the most pack-guarded and treasured pair of MI6 were not the only ones anticipatory about an upcoming heat.

-00Q00-

By now, Q was a dab hand at heats, whether natural or dampened by soporific drugs. Despite his worries on the travel home from The Way, his impending heat didn’t hit instantaneously, instead maturing over a night of dense sleep. When he finally roused from the last restless dose, skin prickling and muscles in a state of near constant stretching and flexing, he opened hazed eyes with want throbbing the base of his spine.

James’ preternatural blue gaze, lit alight by a warm fire, burned into him almost hotter than his heat.

Their hands met and at the tangle of strong fingers Q’s eyes rolled deliciously. With an animalistic moan ending in a keen the omega rolled, spine somehow leading his chest and legs over, one bent at the knee and in the air inviting his mate into the cradle of his hips.

James needed no further encouragement. Sinful muscles making effortless both the alpha’s movements and Q’s increasing mindlessness, the larger man descended in a ripple of warmth and weight and skin till they were pressed together and intertwined.

Q’s hands rolled over broad shoulders to press and hold the flexing plain of his mate’s back.

What had been frenetic heats a few years ago, and still sometimes were, was more of a consuming and utterly desperate state of want and trust. So the omega tolerated with heavy breaths hot on James’ neck as the alpha’s firm fingers caressed down and over his hole, gathering slick and testing his readiness.

He bit off a grunt at two fingers pressing into him, making easy way for a third.

“Shh,” The low, soothing hush rattled around his bones as James rocked him for a while like that. Q just hung on, the depth of his heat reaching out till it was flooding every limb and leaving him a mix of tense and limp to direction. James’ arms were safe though, and whilst he pressed open mouth kisses to the cord of muscle at the older man’s throat restlessly, he trusted his mate’s timing.

Bond kept the steady and soothing rocking until Q’s limbs were quivering in addled tension and his thighs were wet with slick. The omega’s teeth were toying with the skin in front of them, eyebrows contracted as he panted for air and eventually gave in to the need to squirm, full bodied and whimpering at the end. His cock brushed over James’ but he had little time to whine about the throb of slightly unfulfilling arousal it shot through him before the alpha was adjusting their hold.

Blunt pressure caught at his rim and something melted into lust down Q’s spine, going utterly lax with a humming groan and breath hitching when James toyed with rubbing the glands of his penis in and out of the for-now tight opening.

“Yes-“ James’s own groan dragged into a hiss as the alpha finally began to push into his mate. Q, despite how many times they’d done this, lost his breath with an aborted flex of his body. The heavy, solid press of James filling him in one agonisingly slow movement left his brain tripping off into sensation. “I’ve got you, stay with me.” Wrapped up in his mate’s firm arms but otherwise deliciously supplicant and plaint, Q let his head fall back, exposing his throat, dropped his arms to the side. Other than the leg he had braced against James’ flank, held in place by a hand tight on his thigh, the omega let himself be consumed.

The shuttering of Bond’s breath above him at the offering left a smirk teasing briefly at the dark haired man’s lips till they slackened again with a fierce bite from the alpha to his exposed throat. Whimpering amidst a gasp Q became lost in James speeding up the pace just enough to become forceful, commanding the submission just as it had been offered.

Before long, though Q had lost track of time entirely, the alpha pressed Q down to the furs and pushed home inside him, knot making him tremble as it popped past his entrance and settled bulging inside him.

“Feel it, Q?” James panted against his neck, pushing a bit further into him with a punch of breath from the omega and dropping a hot forehead to Q’s as the knot and cock in him forced deeper and fatter inside him. He couldn’t have formed words even if he’d wanted, pleasure shot through him at the feel of the knot inside him making home there, Q defenceless to it, overwhelmed into orgasm at the first flood of warmth pulsing deep inside him.

“You could be pregnant right now.” James’ heated, wanton, strained whisper licking around Q’s ear had the omega bucking with a soft cry and clenching hard through another orgasm, cyclingly milking his alpha and feeling himself grow helplessly full and taut with the idea rolling around in his head that James’s spend might be rooting in him.

That first knotting was prolonged and Q kept in every drop, helped by James raising his hips onto a spare bundled fur and settling to stroke and kiss Q’s taut belly as the omega dosed.

-00Q00-

That first slow joining, romantic in a way heats frequently weren’t, seemed to set the tone of things to come. Maybe it was Q being more mature, or his odd and sometimes weak heats, but James found that his omega was more prone to rationality this time around.

Which was ideal, given that he felt the need to fatten him up. They’d had precious little time for more than gulping down rations on their harried journey back, and James set about cooking a mix of meat, potatoes and mushrooms for them.

Softly asleep amidst the furs, James was surprised at having plenty of time to cook the meal before Q began flexing his muscles restlessly again, breath coming a bit shorter and laced with quiet needy sounds. Setting everything at a height on their cooking rack that should keep it warm above the fire rather than burn it, James wiped off his hands and took himself over to Q. Broad hands smoothed and pressed up his omega’s back and Q bent beautifully with the motion, supine for a moment before arching up in offering.

His thighs were glistening, blotches of heat high on his cheeks and sweat on his brow. The omega might suffer from a bit of heat-shock once his temperature died down and the frigid weather stole over his skin. The omega would need food, water and warmth… But years of heats with Q had taught James a thing or two, and there would be no tending to his mate’s other needs until Q was contently knotted.

Case in point; Q’s green eyes opened with a glare even as he whined appealingly, irises blown and reaching half-blindly back for his alpha. It was rude to keep him waiting when Q adjusted his body into a perfect position for mounting, and James’ lust shot through him powerfully.

It took almost embarrassingly little time for his half-mast cock to harden fully, swinging heavy and proud as he rubbed it between the clefts of Q’s buttocks a couple times, making his lithe mate squirm. Shortly he pushed home, wrapped in insatiable heat and falling into a natural rhythm. His hands clutched the smooth skin at Q’s hips before one drifted around to the man’s belly. Still taut. Warm from the spend nestled in it and the heat lacing the omega from the inside out.

Again, the concept that his Q might already be pregnant had him groaning hopelessly and thrusting harder. Under him Q met his movements eagerly, hands curling in the bedding. James kept his hand there even as he bit Q’s neck again to keep him scruffed and still, breath choking with pleading whines as he had to stay pliant and just take the alpha pounding into him. His knot formed almost before James was ready and he growled into Q’s skin as he came deep inside his mate, surrounded by tight, soft walls clenching him coaxingly, the head of his cock locked in tight space just as much as his knot was.

Q was panting and whining beneath him as they hit the furs, still rocking together, more pulses of come filling Q hotly. His teeth still at the back of the omega’s neck and his hand tight to the omega’s belly, James could almost feel the swell, Q convulsing helplessly around him, prisoner to accepting what his alpha was putting in him though loving every moment.

Even after the time Q’s contractions would usually start to die down and James’ knot would lessen, the alpha’s balls still felt drawn up tight, full and firm and heavy. He rolled his hips to draw out both their orgasms, lowered one hand to fist Q’s sensitive cock and tweaked his nipples, pushed them both further until Q was gasping and mewling, eyes rolled in pleasure.

After he finally slipped out, James didn’t fully soften, and Q whimpered and clung for him, slick, though no sperm, leaking almost freely out of him. The skin at his stomach, there was no denying it, was distended ever so slightly when James rolled him over.

“Blanca you’re a vision.”

“Mm-mate-“ Q’s wavering slur and commanding hands grabbing for him spurred him back into a place of primal desire and greed. His mate would be pupped. Bred full with their children. Both of their responses aided by heat James turned Q and dragged him by the hips back into the breeding position, thrusting in half hard and watching Q writhe as he went from miserable at the weak penetration to stuffed full and all too quickly knotted deep and tight, shuddering and actually caving to the ground weakly as he was pumped almost to bursting too soon.

James had slightly more wits about him after the second knotting, and carefully rolled his smaller mate upwards onto his lap. Q slumped back, neck lolling onto his mate’s shoulder as James palmed his filling stomach. Even after only three matings, Q had so much in him now that he could hardly fail to be pregnant, surely? The omega’s scent was less demanding already, though no less delicious.

It was impossible for him to tear his eyes away from where his hand cupped and stroked Q’s lower belly, feeling it swell and the sight alone sending the pair of them deeper into an orgasm spiral. He couldn’t resist but to help Q keep milking him again, going so far as to toy a pair of fingers around Q’s rim and press them in. Slick wetted eagerly over his fingers even as Q jack-knifed and vocally shook through the ensuing orgasm. James’ eyes rolled up themselves and he clutched Q tight, keeping up the demanding pressure to Q’s prostate until he thought he might go blind with the orgasm. He still came down quicker than Q, who was a mass of shaking leaves instead of bones and muscle.

“More, more, James-“

“Shh Q, you need to eat.” Possibly Q’s least favourite words in heat, even spoke pantingly as James slipped out, had much the same effect they always did. The omega growled petulantly and tried, though fat now and lose limbed, to get back to the alpha’s cock.

Somewhat more lucid and prepared than usual, James hastily grabbed for the pack donations he had sorted out earlier, finding easily the large, vaguely phallic shaped solid glass he had set aside to warm by the fire.

Q was wet almost to the point of making things difficult whilst he tangled limbs with James. The alpha swiped one hand through the copious slick and with the other pressed the tapered end of the glass up into Q.

The omega shuddered and gave to it, but huffed, panting with writhes and bitten off grunts as James kept pushing it in. The glass wasn’t quite as large as his knot, but still large and needed twisting to get into his belly-hampered but squirming mate past the fattest point. The tapered nature of it meant that it filled Q fatter for longer than a knot would, and the solid, thick glass sat weighted in Q.

The omega collapsed onto him, sprawled and stuffed, with James’ mind thankfully clear. Q, however, seemed to be struggling a little, not quite able to orgasm but so stretched that he seemed almost paralysed limp. Foggy emerald eyes fluttered up to James with an ‘unf’ing noise of confusion.

“Is it alright?” Q struggled for words, clenching experimentally and eyes nearly rolling back. “Are you full?”

“I’m, I,” James turned his words, smirking, to a cry as he jostled the glass playfully, curiously and sent Q throbbing into an orgasm cycle, only one without a knot that would eventually go down. For a while he watched Q, almost delirious himself with arousal over the unimpeded view of the younger man’s pleasure.

Almost idly he reached down to toy with the omega’s cock, sending him into spirals of ecstasy. It wasn’t much stress from there to duck his head and pull the softening cock into his mouth, sucking off the taste of Q’s spend and bringing him into a dry orgasm with a plead of his name. Hands fisted in James’ short hair as he nursed the trembling omega’s penis and then turned his attention to dusky nipples, teething and sucking at them, one hand on Q’s fat belly and imagining him ready to suckle their pups.

By the time James, once again, managed to regain some semblance of sanity back, Q was a wet mess between his legs and still high as a kite off prolonged orgasms.

“Perfect thing.” He mumbled, arranging them till Q was supported against him once more and reaching for water.

For once, the omega seemed thirsty, and readily gulped down what he was offered. James bundled him up in a new, gifted fur, unable to stop himself from tucking the omega’s belly in carefully and rubbing over it.

Retrieving the neglected food the alpha begun to share the pot between them, his emphasis most definitely on Q. He hand-fed the omega mouthfuls and kissed him between. The dark-haired genius seemed to have drifted into a place of complete trusting exhaustion, unable to keep orgasming any longer, but kept contently plugged by the solid and demanding weight in him. James took the opportunity to feed him much more than he was sure Q would usually eat till the omega was full in every way possible.

“I’m full, so,” Q’s murmur drifted off as he omega did, slumping into a boneless sleep.

James pushed his hands into the covers around Q and petted his taut stomach before reaching further back. There, his eyes narrowed. Q was dripping, still, going slack around the plug. Slick was always a good sign of fertility, but he half worried if Q’s body wasn’t going as overboard as the alpha’s mind. But the glass served its purpose; the more Q’s body thought it was knotted, the more it would try to take in what James filled him with, increasing their chance of conception.


	5. Settle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm, warnings for the misuse of ginger... hehehe.

[](https://imgur.com/2AEQKsX)

 

Since his year away from James and the subsequent brutality he had put his body through, Q’s heats had seemed lessened somewhat. Now was no exception, as he roused on the third day of heat decidedly more lucid than he ought to be. The weight of the glass plug in his arse felt obtrusive and his belly felt heavy, like he should just curl up and be done with the world for a while as he adjusted. Brain still slightly fogged, Q reached behind himself with a whine and was amazed to feel so much of the plug exposed beyond his stretched, slack rim. Groaning a bit, Q startled as James’ hand found his.

“Just, stay that way, I’ll help you.” Q slackened and shuddered through the loss of having the glass slid slowly out of him.

“W-what was that?” James lowered himself and kissed Q’s temple, the glass set-aside in a pail of steaming water.

“A gift, don’t know from which cheeky wolf, but there were a few of them.” Turning to look closer over Q, thumbs caressing over his cheeks carefully and meeting his eyes, James frowned at him. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit dizzy, tired.”

“But you’re cooling.” James murmured, concerned sounding, pressing the back of his hand over Q’s forehead and neck. “You shouldn’t be already.”

“I’m a bit out of whack I guess.” He breathed a slow, satisfying sigh with a stretch. “As usual.” James’ fingers ghosted over his stomach and the alpha watched over him calculatingly.

“It’s only been three days. And you’re still wet.” Q hummed sleepily, drifting back into the furs and curling his limbs up. James’ fingers stroked down to rub over his hole. The omega clenched lazily. “That won’t do.”

Bereft at the loss of contact and mate as James moved away, Q grumbled the man’s name petulantly, throwing out an imperious arm to get him back in range. James only returned after a minute though, bringing a sharp, spiced smell along with him. Frowning open his eyes, Q looked over to where James was lying down beside him, holding a bright, almost orange yellow looking root vegetable with him. It was moist, and looked like it had a hard brown bark that James had peeled away.

“What is that?” Q questioned sharply, raising himself up a little. James smirked, settling down and sniffing the root.

“Ginger.” He murmured appreciatively, before lowering it between Q’s legs much to the omega’s bewilderment. “Another gift from our no-good pack.”

“What are you-“

“Do you trust me?” James met his eyes for that question, glacier blue to evergreen. Q raised an eyebrow.

“When you’re not wafting odd things between my legs.” James smirked at the sharp tone.

“It’s a root from the south. They use it to help stimulate heat. If we want to have pups, then the longer we have to try the better.”

“True…” Q cautioned, still a little aroused merely from James’ hand being near his entrance and heart starting to speed up.

“Just try it for me, if you don’t like it, we’ll stop?” There was surface level teasing, but James’ eyes were serious. Q, Blanca help him, nodded. James’ playful, minx smile was nearly reward enough on it’s own, the man’s eyes twinkling and alight with excitement.

“Settle back,” Q obeyed, and James spent a moment fussing the blankets around him, surrounding him in a comfortable wallow of pelts. “I think you’ll like this one.”

The initial, odd brush of the root in him left the omega wriggling and frowning, clenching experimentally once it was fully sheathed only to yelp and twist as a bizarre but entirely aphrodisiac prickle stung through him from arse to spine and brain.

“Fuck, fuck,” Q half scrambled as if to remove it but was caught and tempered by James cocooning him in the blankets, somehow leaving only his rear exposed. Easily able to decipher his mate on the edge of pleasure, James held Q close for long moments as heat burned through him readily and one of his mate’s hands reached to start fucking the burning root in and out of him.  
“I can’t, I need-“ The omega’s words were lost entirely as his brain was once more smothered by the delicious, incandescent longing of heat.

“Let go, come on Q, let go for me.” James panted hotly in his ear, body tense as his arm worked furiously and the alpha’s cock flushed dark and full and thick.

“Uhn, I can’t, it’s, I ca-“ James bit his neck groundingly and Q jerked, cried out as the alpha’s fingers pushed in alongside the root and pressed it firmly into that specific spot that had him floundering, pulsing into the sodden furs and clenching around James’ fingers and the utterly damnable-fantastic root. The ginger itself seemed to burn him silly for his orgasm and Q almost moaned it’s loss when James pulled it out of his tightening backside with a pop and rather vibrant flush of fluid.

“Damn Q, what you do to me. Good, easy there.” James gentled him back down, the omega still twitching and hole fluttering for a knot to prolong his orgasm, whimpering without it as his spine buckled with unrelenting heat. He was used and throbbing but needy and grabbed at James when the man moved.

When he did it was only enough to roll Q till they faced on their sides and hitch up the omega’s leg to plunge roughly and without coordination into his hole. Q moaned and held on for dear life, eagerly holding his own leg in the air for the alpha as James shouted and jerked at the stinging of ginger still inside him.

“Q, Q,” James growled, panted, gripping his hips hard enough to bruise and thrusting almost helplessly deeply into him. Q’s entire body was feeling loose and giving and primed and he was so lost in the feeling of being fucked into and James’ thighs and balls hitting his legs and arse that he didn’t notice for a while that the head of James’ cock was pushing up against something tight within him.

Whining he flailed at the intense feeling and James rolled them to get more leverage before starting to drag Q’s bucking hips to meet his thrusts. Squeezing his eyes shut Q gripped James’ shoulders and felt the man’s knot start to swell, arching as James pushed and pulled it through his ring of muscle until he couldn’t. Still humping him and pushing their bodies over the furs James moaned and swelled. Q felt the pressure of his mate’s knot bending him at the same time that the man seemed forced impossibly deep by their locking together. Q stuttered an open mouthed, overwhelmed utterance as he clamped crushingly tight around James’ knot swelling to bulge him and hot, thick fluid started to coat him inside once again.

For minutes Q remained arched and tense and gasping, coming for a second protracted time and only slowly relaxing, pliant and whimpering into James’ clutching arms.

“Fuck,” James swore against his ear, voice gravelly and strained and Q unable to even answer, feeling abnormally full and tied with his body tight around the length of James’ shaft. “Lobo you’re gorgeous, tight, mine.” Q could only shiver a whimper of reply, slowly being filled beyond comfort. The omega rolled his legs as far to each side as he could, panting through the stretch, swollen to the point where he felt paralyzed and defenceless to taking what his alpha gave him.

They stayed that way for maybe hours before James softened and reluctantly eased out, immediately propping Q’s rump up on his knees and reaching for a second, metal this time, plug. He hadn’t been lying about the pack being cheeky little bastards this heat. Dazedly, dreamily, Q met James’ blown black eyes and sex-flushed face as the alpha stared at him, teasingly kissing the metal contraption and making Q breathe out a noise of desire.

“Here’s to pups.” James murmured and reached down to spread Q with one thumb hooked into his whole. That move alone made him groan. Q couldn’t watch, but felt the cool, unnatural slide within him, just as obscene and almost on the edge of violating as it was snugged tight and heavy within him.

He shuddered feeling it slip so easily with a too-smooth glide into him, widening at the bottom enough that his wired body clenched it happily before it narrowed fast and was sucked into him, dropping when James released it to rest heavy and obvious in him, weighting him down.

Q had tightened around it too much to let the thing drop out and he struggled to sit up with a little whimper when the plug remained so ungiving and firm within him.

James, conversely, was drunk-looking and almost moaning again at the sight, hands coaxing Q back down gently, fingers gently feeling out the weight within him and spreading his rim a bit to touch and shift and poke at the object inside.

“I think I want to keep you stuffed and satisfied like this your whole life.”

“Mmnn noo. Stop playing with it.” Q slurred out, but not protesting too much, he felt half trapped in an orgasm and tripping deliciously between heat and sanity. He tried to roll but found the weight moved too oddly and his heavy belly protesting. Being utterly sprawled and confined ridiculously easily into submission by the metal within him, left him clenching, whining at the knowledge that this was a _thing_ giving him pleasure and despite that still pulsing a rather healthy dribble of slick down his thighs.

“Shh, hey, easy.” James soothed, moving closer and oh so gently shifting Q to rest on him, the movement felt weird still and the plug dragged at him but he was too satisfied and surrounded by a warm, sweaty James to care. “Was I too rough on you?” He calmed the alpha’s fears with a shake of the head and kiss to the neck, relishing his mate then turning it into a nuzzling session, entirely gentle and soothing and exactly what the omega craved, strong hands moving to massage and rub at the small of his back.

“Can’t move though, full, n’heavy.” Q mumbled and James pressed a long kiss to his cheek before nuzzling there again.

“I’ll get you some food soon, just let me hold you for now.” Feeling entirely chuffed with this plan, Q sighed contentedly and nudged under his mate’s chin, falling into a steady dose and only wriggling slightly as heat stole deeper through his body.

-00Q00-

James was almost beside himself with enjoyment. The ginger seemed to have re-vitalised Q and the omega was delightful and more intoxicated with hormones than the alpha had seen in years. Even with the fat metal plug in him Q was struggling to raise his hips, so stretched and full, and present to his alpha.

The small keening noises drew James closer even as he wanted to pause and admire the sight, but his own arousal was equally captivated.

“More, Q?” A whine met his words, mutating into a mewl as James pressed his hands solidly down the length of Q’s back. His nose travelled after him and for a moment he kept them that way, face pressed into Q’s hair and cock resting between Q’s plug-spread cheeks, feeling the unearthly contrast of hot skin and cold metal. Growling and sending a shiver through his mate James reached back and twisted and toyed with the plug, leaving Q twitching until he finally slid it out, feeling the weight of it. Slick dripped out of Q’s stretched ring to nearly pour onto the furs and James fixated on the debauched sight of his mate, green eyes dark and heavy-lidded with want as Q stared back at him, panting, reddened lips parted.

A myriad of curse words and praises shot through his head as his spine and groin throbbed. Instead of voice them, his hand massaged stronger on Q’s neck and he brought the plug around to nudge at those enticing lips.

“Lick it.” Q blinked and then recoiled for a moment, whining. “Come on, you can do it, for me.” James nudged his cock back against Q’s cleft, feeling hot wetness dribble to coat him. “Lick it Q.” He asked again, voice tight and hand keeping up his massage of Q’s delectable neck as he pushed the plug into Q’s lips enough to spread them.

Dazed, aroused and unsure Q darted out a tongue to lick the body-warmed metal.

“That’s it, good boy, suck it now, Blanca you’re perfect.” James praised as he pressed the plug further inside and Q’s lips closed on it tentatively, eyes sliding shut as the omega tasted himself. “Suck it while I’m inside you.” James growled, and pushed just the tip of his cock inside Q’s hole, both of them trembling with the teasing tension. Q moaned and pushed his head forwards to take more of the plug to encourage James.

“Good Q, good gorgeous.” The praise was doubled by him pushing in slowly, doing the same with the plug until Q was stretched wide at both ends and jerking slightly, helpless to his pleasure. The sight left James’ mouth dry as he held still in Q till the omega was whining and shifting unbearably around him, looking adorably confused.

“Suck Q,” James reminded, half unbelieving that Q was letting him do this, even if he could smell his mate’s arousal beating wildly around the den. Eyes clearing slightly in understanding, slightly amused and slightly desperate, Q sucked and James rewarded him with a slow thrust in and out. Q moaned and clenched a fist to punch into the furs impatiently, looking vicious as he sucked harder and faster at the metal cock.

James huffed a laugh and matched his pace, pounding in and out of his hungry omega enough to shake the delicate frame. Q’s mouth was wet with spit about the plug and James soon lost track of who was meant to be settling the pace, dropping the plug to take one of Q’s hips in hand and thrust harder into that perfect tight space. Inside Q was hot and deep within; became tight and spongy near the head of the alpha’s cock. James chased that pressure relentlessly as Q kept sucking sloppily on the plug beneath him, whining and arching. His knot teased on the omega’s rim and for a while he held himself there as he stretched, right in the middle of that tight ring till Q was buckling underneath him and crying and he was sucked in.

Despite knowing he was tugging at Q the alpha was lost and unable to stop jerking his hips as the swell of his knot sent him pushing again into that tight place that trembled and clenched around him before, as he dragged Q as hard against him as he could, giving in and holding James deep, splashing hotly into Q’s belly that was being forced to keep everything in.

They were almost tied too tight and Q mewled out his own orgasm, shaking and held still against James. He kept Q in the breeding position for quite a while, easing the plug from his mouth and occasionally jerking them both unsteadily around with a renewed thrust and spurt of seed into Q.

Q’s stomach looked nearly painfully distended by now, and the omega was limp with satiated exhaustion by the time James eased them back down with difficulty. Lying almost on top of Q until he could find an angle that didn’t pull at his cock. The omega snuggled back into him with a shiver and James wrapped furs around them, aware of the bite of winter despite the fire and heat keeping the den warm.

-00Q00-

 

The final days of Q’s heat were a mixture of deep, languorous mating sessions and trying to coax a plug-filled Q into eating and drinking. It had turned into a long heat, and on the seventh day James prayed it was over for his exhausted mate.

Now they were sat with Q slumped against him, freshly knotted and plugged with another glass one, and mysteriously lethargic.

“Q, gorgeous, can you look at me?” Green eyes blinked open sluggishly and the omega shifted with a small grumpish noise of ‘no’ before slumping in a curl back into James’ arms. Of course, it could be that his body was thrown out of whack by the prolonged ‘knottings’ the plugs gave, but also…

James hand slid to low on Q’s belly where his mate was distended, a swell where his womb would be. The younger wolf remained lax and sleepy as the alpha gently massaged the area. Of course Q was being kept full… but James had never seen him like this. It seemed impossible that he wasn’t going to be pregnant this time.

A shivery thought ran down the man’s spine. His Q could be pupped, little forms settling within him. But how many? As long as Q kept producing eggs he could be bred. And with the length of his heat, and the tail end of it only now truly appearing, James was nearly beside himself in fruitless anticipation that wouldn’t receive an answer until weeks had passed. He grumbled selfishly and held Q a little tighter at the thought, wanting to be granted some effervescent wisdom about the state of pregnancy in his mate.

James waited until the scent of Q’s heat was fading from his skin, and he was sure the omega was unconscious and post-orgasm before he slowly and gently as he could wiggled out the plug. Q gaped open without it and James thoroughly wiped him clean with warm water from head to toe before bundling him up in a clean fur. The alpha balled a spare blanket up and pressed it in between Q’s legs to catch any slick or mess that escaped him, and put some food to heat up whilst he tidied up the den from heat, burying things in the snow outside to clean them. 

It was too much time to spend away from Q, and he hurried back inside antsy and grumbling, unwrapping the omega to pull him close and cover them both with the fur instead, stroking through his mate’s hair and scenting him deeply as the exhaustion and excitement caught up with him too.

-00Q00-

Q woke feeling sweaty and exhausted, aching and used in the best of ways, bundled in a fur and pressed against James’ skin with his arms tucked between their chests. It was James stirring that had woken him, sitting up slowly whilst keeping his arms on Q. The omega felt so exhausted that he just let it happen, soft susurrus breaths escaping him as James nuzzled and nudged him into the alpha’s desired position and looped arms around him to pick him up. The movement left him dribbling slick onto already wet furs without any arousal to back it up. The furs remained half wrapped around him and he was soon settled on the ground again in front of the fire, curled on his mate’s lap. Aware of every movement in his trembling lower body. His belly ached full with tight pressure.

The licking heat of nearby flames made Q aware of the coolness in his fingers and toes and slight shivering. Such an active winter heat must have left him a bit run down and vulnerable to the temperature. Q snuggled into James’ chest and felt the man rumble a soothing noise above him, one arm casually curling around his back to soothe as he wetted the furs a bit more with slick.

It left him wriggling uncomfortably, a moan of discomfort leaving him. James shushed him gently and strong fingers went to work investigating the problem. The warmth of James’ hand on his wet legs and thighs left him a little out of sorts.

“Okay, you’re alright, wet thing.” The words were said endearingly and Q frowned, not quite willing to open eyes. “You’ve been wet since your heat finished yesterday. Here, this will help. Shh I know,” Q whimpered a bit and tried to worm away from the return of a plug being pushed into him snugly. He was less receptive to it post-heat, and the object pushing into him left Q a little flustered and grumpy but still too loose and weak to fight the fat slide that finally popped into him. He felt held open again, a little uncomfortable.

James rearranged the fur around him and rubbed soothingly over Q’s rump as the omega whined and shifted for a few minutes before giving in to the pressure within him and settling down.

The steadying touch and comfort that came from being around James had Q drifting off into a doze until a bowl of hot soup was wafted in front of him. Humming appreciatively even whilst being full down below, Q forced his long fingers to curl around the wooden bowl. Despite getting a grip on it James kept a hand on the bowl too, cautiously. The warming broth was soothing and left him sleepy and yawning, nuzzling into James’ skin when he’d had enough and content to curl as the older man ate.

Somewhat amusingly Q was then carried back to the nest and bedded in nicely with furs and James. Soporific and leaden Q huddled himself entirely under the covers and let himself drift off in the hope of regaining some energy. Being cared for and feeling so relaxed was blissful, but it wasn’t very useful.

James proceeded to move him around the den as he saw fit over the day, apparently unable to bear parting with him. Luckily by the evening Q was feeling a bit more like a human again, and though he stayed lying down was at least able to tumble over to engage James in conversation.

Blue eyes lit up as he peered with a sleepy smile at his mate, glasses nowhere in the vicinity and neither wolf with any mind to move to get them just yet.

“Morning sunshine.” Q grinned at James’ tease and petulantly wormed all his limbs around his alpha in a living cocoon, only frowning slightly at the plug in him hampering him. The man seemed chuffed rather than mollified however.

“Evening, I think.”

“True. How are you feeling? You’ve been cold.” A worried hand carded through his hair and Q kissed James’ neck softly.

“I’m tired, but I feel warm. Though I want this out.” James grunted in satisfaction and pulled Q closer till he could scent him.

“I think your body needs it. Besides, I like it, but let’s see how you go.” James dutifully reached down and gently pumped the object in him a couple of times before sliding it out. Q found himself clenching a bit and feeling ungrounded for a moment before gathering his wits together, despite slick beginning to dribble out of him again and James frowning. 

“I need to go outside.” Q finally managed, pushing himself up a little and closing his legs as if that might stop the slick.

“No, it’s cold out there.” James grumbled stubbornly and held Q closer. The omega snorted and poked at the man until he relented, shifting into his fur and getting nearly flattened under Q as the omega cuddled him indulgently. Shifting wasn’t recommended until a few days after heat, especially with what they were trying to do, so the slim man bundled himself into countless wrappings and thick fur-lined boots and crawled out of the den to stagger into the world beyond with James sticking close to him.

Outside the wind was vicious and both mates were blown around wildly. James stumbled off his paws and Q was toppled down into the snow, shaking to rid himself of a face-full of the cold stuff. The thick powder was already up to Q’s knees and mid-foreleg on James. The alpha regained his paws quicker than Q found his feet and turned to nudge and growl worriedly at him till the omega freed himself. Before them the world was nothing but a blizzard on black. Q took as little time as he possibly could to move away from the den to relieve himself before crawling and staggering back to the den with James jumping through the drifts and struggling alongside him.

Comparatively the den was deliciously warm and Q shaking with cold, fingers stiff and numb as he tried to take off the snow-studded furs. Between his legs wetness ran warm down his thighs and calves, and Q started to feel a little light headed.

James shook and shifted and hurried to help, settling Q on their hastily unrolled moss-rug by the fire and proceeding to sit down and share a warming wash with him. The moss absorbed most of the water and slick that dripped off them as they rubbed and scrubbed each other. By the time Q was finished washing James’ hair he gave up fighting the rising urge to rest and curled into his mate, letting the man finish rinsing out his dark hair and drying them both. Yet even as James dabbed his rump dry it came away wet with slick.

“Sorry, I don’t-“

“Shh, you’re just overwhelmed. It was a long one. Here.” Q whined a bit but James shushed him firmly and lifted one of Q’s trembling thighs out the way to press a solid plug deeply into him, nudging up as if it owned him. Grunting in not quite discomfort, and a bit embarrassed, Q clung onto James when the alpha soothed him.

“It’s alright, you just need some settling time. Come on.

James gathered up both mate and momentum to pile them both in furs and within a plush nest by the fireside.

He was asleep before he could be any more embarrassed that he’d begun clenching comfortingly around the plug nestled within him.

-00Q00-

James didn’t particularly mind having a sleepy Q draped around the den, more often than not on him. Even with the omega wetting between being plugged. Though that was gradually lessening too. In fact he quite enjoyed it. The contented relaxation of his mate enjoying a long settling time after heat was both pleasing to be around and stroked his pride at having created it. Q’s exhaustion was evident however, and although his body had now returned to it’s pre-heat state; un-swollen and much cooler in temperature if still mottled with bite marks and smothered in James’ scent, he seemed more fatigued than usual.

James sat beside Q as the omega munched his way slowly through some dried meat, struggling to regain the energy he’d lost to cold and exertion. One of the alpha’s hands rubbed over his mate’s flat again, slightly soft belly, thumb stroking just over Q’s naval and wondering at the man’s soft exhausted state combined with what they’d hoped for.

“Mm, feels good.” Q murmured, stretching languidly like dripping tree sap and shifting around to relax onto James’ thigh with a small smile. Where he was un-plugged a hot line of slick was left behind. “Very comfy, good alpha.” James huffed a laugh as Q patted his knee smugly.

“Do you think it took?” Lobo damn him but the alpha was tired of trying to find a way to beat around the bush, his relentless lingering anticipation far too great to allow for much patience. Q blearily opened one heavy lid and raised an eyebrow. Slowly the omega eased himself upright and took his own hand to his stomach appraisingly.

“Well, I certainly hope so. But it’s not something I can tell. No wolf can.” Q answered, fingers lightly traipsing and prodding with casual familiarity over his stomach as if the answer would become apparent. “I suppose I feel a bit more run down than usual, but who’s to say if that’s a conclusive argument towards anything.”

“You’re just tired?” James confirmed, itching for information, curious beyond belief. He’d had no experience, and if anyone was going to feel anything different it would be Q, he was the one who would be harbouring any pups within him. Impatience gripped him at the idea that he would have to wait anything up to a month to know for sure if his own mate was pregnant. And even then it would rely on Q going off his food or becoming tired and hungry. Some people showed next to no symptoms. To him Q smelled endearingly claimed and peaceful, healthy. His scent was still settling, that odd mixture of slight discomfort lingering from heat and sleep-softness from having a fulfilled mating. There was nothing to indicate anything that confirmed pregnancy yet.

Even without the consideration of pups settling within the omega, his Q was everything and James couldn’t help obsessing over his welfare.

The omega frowned and assessed himself.

“I suppose its not just tiredness, but I just feel very… _nesty_. That’s not abnormal for me post-heat, although it is carrying on.” Q seemed a little consternated by the fact, which relaxed the older man slightly. His Q was hardly a creature of leisure, even if they both enjoyed indulging in it when they could.

“Alright.” James calmed himself as best he could, drawing Q close once more and letting his mate’s contented scent relax him. Outside the winter storms were too fierce to chance going outside, they might slow in a few days, but until then no wolf would be out on the mountain. All there was to do was bundle down with Q and ensure his continuing health, pups or no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We now close on heat, and shall return to plot around Saturday / Sunday.


	6. Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that this was a little late, but I hope you enjoy meeting some old and new faces from this verse.

[](https://imgur.com/Xq8WcoO)

 

James couldn’t quite believe it, Q was _settling_. The fact that his mate even had time to do such a thing was novel in and of itself. Their lives up till now had been hectic enough to forbid them luxuries like that. But there Q was, whilst a blizzard howled outside and James finally got around to cutting a thick, heavy draping of hide that Q had plans to put up over the entrance to their den to keep the wind out. The omega in question was lounging, well, sleeping, in the pile of furs. The soft hushes of his breath keeping James company.

Now unplugged, Q was exhausted seeming and placid in his fatigue. James cooked for him, fed and bathed him whilst Q pressed kisses onto his skin and cuddled contentedly. Heats usually ended with some sort of settling period, and James found himself enjoying doting on his sleepy mate.

The process felt complete, sanctifying. James returned to Q from his precise cutting to Q’s requirements, and slid into bed beside his nesting omega, nuzzling as Q roused sufficiently to curl limbs around him and pull the alpha closer. Tucking his nose into the dark whorls of hair beneath him, James felt his bones relax, his own body limber and restful and equally enjoying the time off that the heat had granted them.

Come morning, Q was rousing and though not quite ready to leave the den, certainly a lot brighter.

“I shouldn’t have to leave…”

“I’ll be fine, I want to put the drape up and air out the last of the furs. Then we’ll be ready no matter what.” James noticed as he said it that he brushed an articulate thumb over his womb and couldn’t argue any further simply for the anticipation snatching his throat. He fought it back down with years of practice mastering his responses. But only just.

“Then I’ll go check on things, and send up anyone who wants to visit?” Q turned to him sharply and raised an imperious finger.

“Family and John only. No well wishers. I’ll go see the pack in my own time.” Grinning at the words, knowing they had been coming, James winked at his mate.

“Duly noted.” Q’s fondness for the MI6 pack was true to the bone, but the omega had, and always would, be protective of his safe spaces.

James couldn’t agree more, but enjoyed teasing him at times.

Still, leaving Q at a time when he was so soft and tactile was always a wrench.

None the less he kissed the man goodbye and fluffed into his fur suit to bound through the drifts and firm but not frantic winds down to their main den.

He howled when just reaching the main slope, seeing lupine ears and a few brave fur-wrapped human heads poke up and greet him from where they’d been going about their daily tasks.

MI6 was busy this time of year, soon there would be precious little they could do for the winter, and every wolf was hurrying to make preparations. They’d elected to stay in their main dens this year rather than venturing into the trees. A move that might make the weather harder to endure but saved all of the pack from being surrounded by the area of the fly-strike fever that had claimed so many lives.

Considering that staying on the mountain meant Q and James got to keep their own den for the winter, the alpha had been pleased to say the least.

Now he butted heads and noses and ignored some of the overly eager beta adolescents to teach them manners, and wound his way into the main den in the mountain. Shaking off snow, the alpha trotted into the meeting hall and found Mycroft and Lestrade going over lists with Tanner.

“James, good to see you whole and healthy.”

James shifted into skin, grabbing a long woven coat to cover himself with for the other wolves’ sensibilities. Lestrade clapped him on the shoulder and Tanner bumped into him genially. Mycroft of course remained haughty to touch. It seemed the oldest Holmes only touched his brothers, if he could help it.

But Mycroft was a very strange wolf indeed.

“Good to be back.” He remarked, nodding at the others.

“How did the meeting go?” Tanner asked, putting aside notes that James saw was a list of stock.

“Pretty good. A few promising couples, and I think a couple of them might even come back. They’re in Alec and Eve’s hands now. Did you get Mary and Ronson turn up yet?”

“Just yesterday. They’re both pretty tired. Ronson will be out of hunts for a few weeks.” James grimaced, and factored in visiting the young alpha who had braved the dangers of a bear with him.

“Mary told us what happened.” Lestrade added. “You had a lucky escape.”

“And then a sudden heat on top of that.” Mycroft, rolling his eyes as if it were somehow James’ fault that Lobo loved to test him. “How is my youngest brother? I do hope you’ve pupped him this time.”

James snorted whilst Tanner looked vaguely scandalised and Lestrade coughed a little.

“I’ve done my best.” He replied sardonically, and turned the conversation back to the pack as more curious wolves came in to greet him and ask for news from the other side.

 

-00Q00-

 

Something about the moments in the days after his heat left Q feeling rested and sated. This time more than usual. Busying himself even as he was with preparing their den for winter, Q had a sensation of calm through his bones that the omega had found so fleeting in his life.

That certain quality however, about looking out over the sun-struck mountain ranges surrounding MI6, feeling like there was nothing to stop him from jumping and soaring over the world beneath his feet, yet solidly comfortable in not wanting to… was as empowering as it was satisfying.

Here, now, safe in his place and pack, planning something greater yet with his mate, Q felt in control and at home and peace.

Methodically, Q prepared the den for winter. Bedding was aired. Hunting and butchering items were checked and honed, not to mention the weapons the pair kept hold of. He’d have to think of somewhere safer to put them when they had curious pups around. The omega fixed the hide draping James had cut to the area around their den’s entrance to keep out the wind, and started planning where in the den he was going to dig them a bath.

The floor of their den was rock, the den itself carved into the mountainside, Q fancied he could chip, dig and smooth a shallow basin in the stone to be filled with heated water. He’d have to include a drainage channel, but that was just part of the challenge. Once he had young pups, Q very much doubted he would be carrying them to the MI6 dens to be washed, or taking himself there.

Busy in his contemplations and testing their different tools on the rock in one of their three offset areas from the den-proper, Q looked up at the sound of Sherlock’s irritable bark demanding entrance from outside.

_Progress, he doesn’t usually ask_. Q reflected, and wandered into the main den, already dressed thanks to the constant cool temperature without a fire running.

“Come on in.” He called, and soon heard the scuffing of claws of two wolves hustling through the narrowing.

Sherlock’s dark and long legged form wiggled through and his cold nose butted Q’s hand briefly before the beta did a sniffing circle of the den at a lope. John wriggled through after and buffed his head more solidly against Q’s thigh as the omega ran fingers over short, dense silver fur.

“Didn’t take you two long.” He reflected, and gestured to the row of hanging clothes that were spare for visitors, as was polite to have in a den, should the pair want to change skins. John took the opportunity and shifted, fishing himself into a shirt and drawstring trousers, throwing a bunch of clothes at the passing Sherlock in a not-so subtle hint.

“Well, long trek, bear attacks, sudden onset heat and a blizzard, I’m surprised one of you isn’t lethally wounded.” John griped as Q grimaced. The medic’s black humour had only grown more cynical with all of the mishaps Q and James got themselves into.

Sherlock snorted as he tied a gown around himself.

“For once, I’m afraid we might have exceeded expectations. Did Ronson make it back yet? Mary?” Q asked, leaning against the wall with a lack of furs to sit on.

“Yes, bit the worse for wear, but I gather he was fairly lucky-“

“Never mind about that.” Sherlock brushed past John and eyed Q up and down critically whilst the omega fought not to smirk at the antics, raising an eyebrow instead. “How were the glass gifts?”

“The glass- Oh _Blanca_ forbid those were your gifts?” Q’s felt his face contort into a mixture of disbelief and glower as his cheeks heated. “Get the hell out of my den!” His exaggerated flustered words teamed with a few pushes to his grinning brother towards the entrance.

“That good then?” Sherlock’s indomitable insufferability surely knew no bounds. John hastily pushed both of them apart as Q began growling, eyes setting hard to compensate for the flush of arousal at the memory of just what his mate could do with inanimate objects paired with the pride annihilation that was Sherlock’s smug face.

“Now, come on, stop it you two. Sherlock don’t antagonise him, go be out the way. You, sit down.”

“Where?” Sherlock asked petulantly. Never let it be said that the beta had grown out of being difficult. Q, luckily, had more than enough experience dealing with recalcitrant wolves from his mate.

“Unless in the last two months you’ve developed a sudden and unexpected set of standards then I’d suggest the floor.” Sherlock huffed at him grouchily and settled himself like a ghoul on the other side of the den, pawing through whatever he came across. A pulse of fondness warmed Q at the familiar sight.

“Oi, you too, unless you’ve developed an uptight attitude to match Mycroft?” Laughing at that from John, Q slouched to the floor and waved a hand vaguely.

“Hardly, just an appreciation for staying at home for the foreseeable future.” Both betas’ eyes lifted to him at that, albeit Sherlock’s more subtly.

“So it’s true then, you’re really trying this time?” John looked a little impressed and a little hopeful, even Sherlock’s scent fluctuated a bit with anticipation. Packs couldn’t help it, especially one with as limited mating potential as MI6 proper, never mind the omega pack.

Despite even everything James, Q and their closest in the pack had accomplished, if they pulled this next trick off they would still be the first in-pack alpha-omega pair to have children in years.

“Mm. Let’s hope it works.” Always trying to keep his brain mindful of the pitfalls of life, not to mention his own body’s previous inability to harbour pups to term, Q hedged his answer, and kept his fingers from drifting to his stomach as they tended to do out of curiosity.

“Well, you’ve got me here to help with that.” John, determined and with a focused glint to his sometimes-militant eyes, clapped his hands firmly and gave Q a firm nod. The omega breathed a small, half relieved and half impressed huff out his nose and cracked a smile. John’s misty-morning coloured eyes seemed to have sun struck through the doubt other wolves might have carried over Q’s ability to bear young.

Sherlock had stopped pretending to fiddle about too, and was watching as John began to instruct Q into removing clothes and making an assessment on his condition.

-00Q00-

All in all it took Q five days to leave the den post-heat. Regardless of the fact that he was an omega and subject to heats, he was still required to be a functional member of the pack.

Well, maybe some alphas didn’t see a need for him to do more than lie around and birth babies, but even those opinions were changing. More to the point, Q wouldn’t allow it of himself. James, Q suspected, would also become impatient with a lay-about mate who refused to work. Better to have James barter with him to take a break than push him out the door to do something with his life. Speaking of his mate, James was busy himself; hunting. Winter preparations for a mountain pack were no joke.

Thus down Q trotted, relishing stretching his long legs in the thick but powder-like snow. Sinking into it despite large wolf paws spreading his weight. Not ideal hunting conditions for James. For Q however it suited well enough. Whilst carrying pups, wolves should ideally stick to one form or other for a few days at a time. The snow gave him the perfect reason to stay fur-bound whilst not making it plainly obvious their intentions to the pack. Regardless of whether James, John or Sherlock had let slip about that already.

Despite everything he had feared when first stepping foot into MI6 with James all those years ago, Q had grown to find that he liked it here. More than he’d imagined possible. There would always be some part of him that, through his odd and staggered life of upheavals and travelling, had been honed to trust and respond to James above and beyond all else. But slowly, quietly, MI6 and its wolves had sneaked into his heart and turned from threat into pack.

He wasn’t quite sure when, maybe only after he had built his own confidence up with being leader of the Aurora pack, or the lack of hostilities that surrounded him upon his return. Evidently having one mated omega around was much preferable to having _no_ omegas around. Since they’d implemented the new Mating Laws, Q’s ‘popularity’ had all but bloomed, even if the pack didn’t seem quite proud to house the ‘one omega’ anyway. Luckily, something that wasn’t true any more, but at the time of his return certainly had been.

So, gradually, he’d found a place not only by James’ side but also within the pack. He cared about them, helped where he could. If there was no need for pack leader duties for Q within a day then he could usually be found within either the omega or MI6 packs at work in some respect. And within that social structure, he had found a place for himself.

Teaching he had always enjoyed, even in his first pack, and the bright young pups in MI6 were a joy to be around and care for. He took shifts on the nursery whenever needed, either trying to install some learning into their childlike minds of Law and sense and mechanics, or just overseeing, or playing with the youngsters whilst their parents worked. MI6 currently had only six young pups due to the illness last year, and one of them was an unhealthy lad who had been grabbed by a bird of prey before his first shift and grown up with a bad leg and lungs after they’d been punctured. The rest of the children were older, in their early adolescent years and taking on trades and duties of their own. But the group of six 5-8 year olds were an entertaining bunch on their own.

Today Q made only a brief stop by the nursery slope, a gently curving bit of the mountain within the main pack area, surrounded by the small stations of other trades where there were plenty of eyes to keep an look out for danger. Today they were outside, but usually in winter activities would move within the main den to allow the pups to shift without the risk of cold on skin.

Two well wrapped wolves: one beta and an alpha, waved to him as he trotted down into their midst. The fur-clad pups perked up in a comical array of flopping ears and limbs and ran to swarm him in a yipping crowd of exuberance. Q sat down self-consciously in the snow, aware of his potential lingering heat scent that the children always found intensely worth investigating in a world where they smelt little the like of it.

“You’re back!”

“Where did you go? Why for so long?”

“Q, Raindrop stepped on me!”

“I can shift the fastest I can I can!”

“I’m hungry and the snow’s cold on my paws I don’t like outside time.”

“Q, _Q_ , Q!”

“Raindrop stepped on me again!”

As best he could Q shushed and listened and licked, making sure to nuzzle Blitz when the injured white wolf pup finally made his way over to them, panting.

“Yes, hello, I missed you all too. Raindrop, please watch your paws, yes I know they’re growing and you’re doing very well. Henry, don’t eat snow it’s not healthy.”

“Welcome back, boss.” R had been given the rather unfortunate name of ‘Rabbit’ when she was born, due to a birth defect that left her with a stub for a tail. After years of growing frustrated with people looking around and shouting an enthusiastic ‘where?!’ whenever her name was called, she had met Q and decided to adopt the idea of a one-letter nickname. She had bonded fast with the omega, something he had been very grateful for given that they worked the same nursery shifts more often than not, and was a good friend and endless source of entertainment both. R did not do too well with pups, and was roped into them only because most betas took shifts in the nursery.

Now the dark skinned beta tripped over two wriggling cubs and grumbled as they laughed puppishly at her, almost using Q’s head to stabilise herself as the mischievous pups clamoured around her feet and Q. The omega spent some time nosing and sniffing at R as she rubbed between his ears sociably.

“Maurice can’t you come help feed them?” R called over, shifting into her short, thickly furred wolf form in order to chivvy the pups away better without stepping on them. Maurice meandered over miserably and sat heavily next to Q with a sigh.

“I hate it when you go away, R always gets so angry. It’s tiring.” Q knew the male alpha as a result of R’s friendship. Keen to both escape the nursery and enthusiastic to learn more about Q’s innovative talents in mechanics, she had taken him to meet her fellow forgers and crafters.

This, evidently, was where R’s true love lied, in the tinkering and constructing of the mountain’s natural metal ore into devices, and Q found himself fitting into place there as well. Together with two other betas and Maurice, the bulk of R and Q’s work was constructing daily wear such as cooking utensils, forming lamps and glasses frames all the way up to weapons and coming up with clever new solutions to any problem they saw fit.

R, Maurice, Mindy and Monty were bright and clever and had adored Q the moment he’d shown them how he made his lanterns. The four wolves had thoroughly enjoyed taking him down to where the ore was harvested and seeing what they could all come up with, which was apparently plenty. Since then through a process Q didn’t quite understand but probably had something to do with him actually having good enough organisational abilities to turn their own enthusiasm into productivity, he had become their ‘boss’. 

Actually getting the ore to the surface was the least glamorous of their jobs. Shifts doing that, spending time in the forgery (a separate hut-fronted den from the main MI6 one, leading to the ore caverns amidst the rocks), and their rotations in the nursery kept them busy and good friends.

Q found he missed it when he went away, and felt a little burst of excitement to see what he had missed. Not to mention that for the next year he’d be able to keep up with developments if he remained in-pack for pregnancy and raising their pups. Love visiting Aurora though he did, he’d come to love this pack too.

“Can’t you just stay here for a while?” Maurice swung his great head towards Q’s, his solid white fur was a pointed colouration, leaving his ears, paw tips and a ruff across his shoulders pale-orange. His grey eyes were as morose as the deep voice that always sounded so sorrowful. Maurice was odd, for an alpha, James had initially been wary of him, Q too, but Maurice was a the sort of alpha that, in the same way as Alec had, saw Q too much as a pack brother to have any designs on him. It was comfortable being around him, when Maurice was one of the least opportunistic alphas Q had ever met, and supported his bond with James resolutely. In fact, Maurice never seemed to have romantic designs on anyone. And despite the fact that he was possibly the largest wolf in the pack, almost double Q’s size, he was as placid as a puddle. “Work is harder with you gone, now everyone wants our new inventions.”

“I promise not to go anywhere for a while.” Q smiled back, unable to help himself from nuzzling the large wolf’s downcast face and nudging his bulk against R’s dark, dusty black-brown and white fur. She nudged back and then shifted away from where Henry started coughing up snow next to her. Sighing with another smile Q stood and nudged the miserable and hungry little pup up gently, feeling a thrill of anticipation at the warm belly against his nose. “Let’s get this lot in and fed first, then we can get to work.”

R bounced for joy at the idea of leaving the nursery, her small tail flicking oddly and driving the pups to try leaping to catch it.

Q watched her scold them fondly, nudging along a poorly Henry as Maurice simply opened his huge mouth to slowly catch up Blitz and carry him in.

Even the melancholic Maurice managed to look excited when he later announced that he wanted them to help him with his design for an in-den bath. R looked positively gleeful, with a sharp look in her amber eyes that said she knew just why he’d be planning a long-term project in his own den. For a woman who wanted no pups of her own, she left Q with no doubt that she followed the pack mentality that he should have them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In our picture this week, from the bottom up we have R, Mindy, Monty and Maurice. Next update is likely to be around Friday.


	7. Hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit late, went to see the wonderful Bill Bailey! Here's a large slice of story to make up for the delay.  
> Thank you for the continuing support on this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

[](https://imgur.com/zjjOC1e)

 

With his pack slowly wakening from the first harsh attack of winter James’ duties as pack leader became requisite once more. Both the main dens and satellite ones would need inspecting for damage and repairs, not to mention the forgery and other working areas that resided outside. Contacting the omega pack would be important too as well as sending out perimeter checks of the territory.

Not too mention, James wanted to get more food and Q wanted to stretch his legs further than the distance it took to pup-sit for the pack.

“I can go visit the omega pack, check on them.” Q suggested, eagerly clambering out of the furs and stretching sinuously in his fur. This would be Q’s third day holding the fur-form for the benefit of potential pups.

The alpha bit his tongue at his immediate distaste of the idea of Q going off wandering. The lithe omega had recovered from the fatigue of heat, but the winter was a dangerous time on the slopes, and the omega pack was a good two or three hours away in this snow, if the weather stayed clear. He didn’t really want his potentially pregnant Q traipsing about in it.

Q would hate that thought however, not to mention that James was aware this early into pregnancy exercise was more of a benefit than a curse.

“Take Sherlock with you, or your minions.” It came out as more of a demand but the alpha couldn’t help it. Q rolled his furred shoulders and shook.

“They’re not my minions. Besides they’ll be busy after all this snow.”

“Sherlock then.” The beta could hold his own in a fight and would hopefully have the sense to out-logic Q into going back if he needed to. Or have the strength to bully him back. Q looked over at him with mildly annoyed affection and flicked his ear, trotting over.

“James, I’ll be fine-“ Quick as a flash the alpha reached out and caught Q’s nose and muzzle gently in his hand. Q whined a bit and shook his head in an attempt to get free of the teasing, but the older man recognised the shift of his mate’s paws when he was about to shift into skin.

“Oh no you don’t, gorgeous,” The slight smirking smile in his voice had Q frowning wolfily. “You know the rules, no shifting back for three days, you’ve got one left. You’re stuck in fur till those pups shift with you.”

For a moment Q looked amazed that he had forgotten, emotions cycling through mild frustration to resignation and acceptance.

“Good thing I’ll need it out there anyway.” Q mumbled, words muffled through James’ palm. With a few licks of his tongue and shaking his head again the omega freed himself and James scratched the fur behind his mate’s dark ears fondly, thumb reaching round to stroke the edge of his cream eye-patch.

“I’ll be careful James, I promise.” James’ touch stilled for a moment, looking into Q’s green eyes and adjusting to the fact that the tri-coloured wolf could read him just as easily as he could the younger.

“I wish you would.” He murmured. Being mated to Q was fantastic; he loved the sharp wit, the energetic vibrancy that came with his adventurous, proud omega. But more often than not the alpha was left trying to strangle down his nature to protect and guard. If Q had been some timid, inactive thing James might have ordered he stay in the den. But the last thing he wanted to do was limit and confine his Q, it would go against everything they had built their relationship on and be more than the omega could ever forgive.

Still, it left him in a precarious limbo of not wanting to control Q whilst needing beyond anything to know his mate was safe. For all the feats Q had endured beyond reason, he was precariously horrendous at keeping himself safe.

“I wont be six hours.” Q offered, voice light and hopeful in that way it became when trying to soothe James and not knowing quite how. “But I can’t sit here and worry about it, if I’m not pregnant and I just sit here for a month-“

“I _know_ Q. I know.” The slight snap was undeserved. In Q’s paws he’d be out the den already, but he couldn’t help his frustration, the fact that in some sickening way he felt _powerless_ to encourage Q to do what he wanted and needed the omega to. His mate had been too tossed around from the start, James didn’t want to become what Q had always run from in alphas, but more often than not he was at a loss of how to communicate his more alpha-like needs to Q. Something that seemed increasingly challenging as the pair of them both took on new responsibilities.

Instead of try and form the conversation he had no idea to start or word, the alpha turned and kissed Q’s head with a murmured apology.

“Be back tonight, alright.”

“I will.” Q assured, slightly soft in gentle confusion. James ruffled into his fur and shook away what tension he could before leading the way out into the snow.

The ringingly clear air blew through him and livened James’ spirits a bit. Taking a deep breath of air the pale wolf lifted his nose to the air and howled strong and loud across his range. The answering reply of his pack, healthy and hearty in the fresh snow, shivered his fur upright in pride. Q stepped forwards a paw length and weaved his own howl into the song.

It struck Bond just how their songs had evolved from the start when they first met; there was an authority in both of them that relished hearing their pack answering their howl. Q’s song was no longer tentative, though still held an amusing note of rebellion and rang with clear emotion as it intertwined with James’. His own howls had in turn lost some of the melancholy, a surprising amount of it, honestly speaking, and sounded strong and proud over the mountains as his simple notes and complex emotions mixed with the reverse in Q’s tune.

Amongst the melee of energetic young adult wolves singing out their mix of winter excitement or trepidation for the coming months, older wolves kicking out their song with seasoned resolve and the younger adolescents and pups joyfully or tentatively joining in, James found it just possible to pick out the calls of individual wolves. Mycroft twisted his subtly complex tune through the mountain air with the calm resolve of a wolf in complete control of his environment and self. Sherlock by comparison howled slightly out of sync with the other wolves, too fast and bouncing through rhythms and notes in a hyper-staccato version of Q’s song. Lestrade’s level notes were tainted with loss that was slowly healing, still strong, and indeed all the stronger for his determination to fight through the loss of both his mate and his pack. Tanner dipped in and out of the song with a half-distracted air of one whose mind was constantly thinking. John’s limited note-range was pure and true and honest if slightly dulled for it’s limited variety that required the listener to prick an ear or two to catch the surprisingly vibrant hidden depths.

Once the main howl sung itself out the wolves dotted around the mountainside called shorter greetings or queries to each other, planning gatherings or touching base. Q howled out for Sherlock to come to them and received a twisting reply of acquiescence. James howled down to Mycroft and Tanner that he’d be along soon, and wasn’t surprised when Sherlock’s dark furred body emerged bounding through the snow with John tagging along in his wake.

“Thought I’d give a check over? First shift and all.” John offered with a winning grin as they came to a stop a few feet from the pair. Always wise to keep a respectful distance from a recently out-of-heat mated pair. James used his large head to nudge Q forwards playfully, Q tripping over his long legs in the endearing way he used to a few years ago and had since grown out of. He received a long bushy tail swatting him in the face as punishment but kept grinning all the same.

John made quick, diligent work of sniffing over Q, glancing into his eyes and checking mobility. Sherlock merely snuffled inside his brother’s ear curiously for a moment before becoming bored until Q talked about going to the omega pack. Before long the beta doctor had announced a clean bill of health with no mention of pregnancy.

The omega glanced at James and murmured “I’ll see you later?” just within his alpha’s earshot. The larger wolf moved over and nuzzled Q firmly for a moment, the smaller body pushing back into him with just as much conviction.

“Oh really must you? By all means take all day.” Sherlock drawled, bored as James moved to lick at Q’s eye patches till he was satisfied that their mingled scent was quite obvious.

The lanky beta was still tutting and ranting to Q as the two brothers pounced off through the thick snow. James followed John back down to the MI6 main den and focused himself entirely on the job at hand, trying to temporarily push his thoughts about Q and pups to the back of his mind.

-00Q00-

The three-hour trek to the omega pack, heavily hampered by snow, gave the two Holmes brothers plenty of time to catch up. Too much time perhaps. By the time they’d reached the perimeter Q was both fatigued and rather mentally strained from trying to keep up with Sherlock’s whirlwind conversation. His brother was truly amazing, no one else the omega knew could segue from spying techniques to overly intimate detail of Q’s heat to the general incompetence of other wolves, sullen sulking silence and his own mate in the space of such a short time, still allowing enough breath to bound through the snow.

“Yes, well, John is entirely allowed to confine you to bed rest if you’ve reached delirium.”

“I had not _reached delirium_ I was merely trying to get Lestrade to understand the concept of mind over matter-“

“By standing outside with your clothes off in the middle of a blizzard whilst trying to feign dignity?” Sherlock shot him a quirked look that seemed to hide amusement whilst frustrated that Q didn’t see things his way. Before the omega could blink the beta jumped forwards to nip his side before dancing away playfully. Thrilled by the odd moment of playfulness from his brother Q bowed and growled in jest before pouncing after Sherlock.

The elder Holmes would once have had the advantage over him but they were both at peak condition now and the two dark wolves raced each other evenly over the last slope down to the omega pack. Here, panting, Q stilled, looking carefully around the amassed wolves going about their business. He had never quite forgotten the violence he’d briefly encountered here, and eyed the long-limbed form of Erik in his fur warily as he trotted over to greet Ros and Lucas. Sherlock shook the playfulness off and went to pester Logan. The alpha tried to grudgingly shake off the thin wolf’s demanding questions and presence but allowed it gruffly. Logan came from two of the most secretive packs in the forest –no one was sure which of the two it was- and though he had left them decades ago Sherlock was still keen to hound him for information on them.

Longclaw and Ironfur were two of the oldest packs in existence, older still than Q’s old Diogenes pack and the original MI1 and MI2, now long eradicated.

“Looking good, Q.” Lucas greeted fondly, bumping noses with Q politely. Ros sniffed his ruff and then turned to look at the pack they were guarding.

“Some of the young ones are coming up to their first heats now. And Rogue’s last one was pretty tough.” The she-wolf informed almost indifferently. Q nodded and flicked his ears thoughtfully, venturing deeper into the pack.

The young omega wolves of the pack had re-created something of a phenomenon; when so many omegas were grouped together their heats tended to start later, allowing their bodies more time to mature since numbers were high. They also tended to synchronise somewhat.

_Could be problematic_. Q reflected to himself, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that the entirety of Endurance was cured of the ‘omega fever’ they had been driven to violence by.

Soon enough the omega pack would be offered to start venturing to the new Mating Ceremonies with the other potentials. But luckily that logistical dilemma wasn’t to be sorted out during the middle of winter.

Q made sure to do the rounds within the pack, greeting the playful broods of Charles and Erik, intermingled with Moira and Emma’s beta pups. The lot of them were thundering about joyfully in the snow, unable to contain themselves to skin or fluff and giving the pup-sitting teen wolves multiple headaches by the looks of things. Q enjoyed spending a minute being bowled over by the young pups and their insatiable desire to play with willing adults. Seeing the pups able to take advantage of a playful adult wolf the adolescents quickly joined in.

Bram, Alex and Sean were already chewing Q on with the other young ones trying to climb onto him when Shaz nosed into his muzzle politely for attention and Hector barged into him demandingly. Shaking the multicoloured soft-furred babies off Q turned to snap at Hector for being rude and the pup grinned back utterly unrepentant. After that, the game was on. Q launched at the cocky alpha pup who yelped and scrambled out the way and a massive game of chase was formed with the younger wolves running around in the middle and attempting brave pounces into the legs of the adolescent wolves and Q.

The omega soon found himself wildly outnumbered by nine big pups almost the same size as him and lively from the attention of a visiting adult. Q allowed them to practice hunting on him for a while, one of them in turn occasionally allowing the babies to ‘bring them down’ and snarled and growled dramatically when felled. Q was fast, but soon enough he narrowly avoided tripping over young omega David by jumping over him and was barrelled into from the side by Hank, the adopted pup of Charles and Erik who was growing rapidly and seemed to be not a Highland Wolf at all, but an abandoned Arctic pup. Even at thirteen the male omega’s body was large and densely boned and his clumsy pounce into Q had the omega’s breath whooshing out of him and the pair tumbling.

As ever, things grew rather heated after that, but not in the way Q would have thought. When a dark shape leapt over him to snarl the cringing and apologetic pup away, Q half thought it was Lucas before he shook the stars from his eyes enough to see it was Sherlock standing guard in front of him. Ordinarily, Q was sure the beta would have just laughed at him falling in what was only slightly rough and tumble play. Now, however, the tall, unkempt looking wolf stood with hackles raised and long, proven teeth on show and Hank dropped to his shoulder on the ground with his tail between his legs and licking his lips desperately in an attempt to look unthreatening.

Q’s Mesmer at his brother’s protectiveness was shook off quickly at the sight of all the pups backing away in caution, and he sat up under Sherlock without preamble. The beta squawked and hurried to regain his footing, snapping the air around Q’s face in warning. Ears back and ingratiatingly Q wagged his tail and licked under the beta’s chin in gratitude and apology, before standing and nudging him slightly. With a small grumble Sherlock quietened, rolling his eyes when Q briefly sniffed over Hank for injuries and licked the big pup’s nose comfortingly.

“S-sorry, Q.” The boy mumbled, casting worried glances at Sherlock.

“I’m fine.”

“Maybe a bit more careful next time darling.” Charles’ voice managed to diffuse the rest of the tension from where he was lounged watching from the sidelines. Hank flushed at the term of endearment form his mother.

“Yeah Bigfoot.” Alex giggled until Charles shot him a glare too as the arctic pup’s ears and face fell.

“He’s right, I’ll, um, I’ll…” Humiliated, Hank began to retreat silently, Charles called after him and awkwardly began heaving himself up to offer comfort, but the snow was thick and it seemed the omega’s muscles were sore from the cold.

“I’ll go after him.” Logan’s firm voice carried through the other awkward wolves who were trying to both not watch Charles’ struggle, and not offer help. Only one wolf was brave enough to attempt to assist Charles and risk upsetting him, and it wasn’t Sherlock or Q. As Charles’ front legs sunk down in the powder to bury his face and his back legs kicked weakly to struggle up, Erik materialised at his side and bothered around him till the pair were snapping at each other and then collapsing in a grumpy but sorted heap.

Logan quickly caught up with Hank and guided him away from the group. Alex responded to his mother’s stern call and received a chastisement about being unintentionally and intentionally cruel, and the adolescents consoled the worried younger pups. An alpha around Q’s age, Darwin, sidled up to Sherlock, seeming quite interested in the beta’s fighting style.

Bram still snuck into Q’s belly to be consoled personally, and the omega fondly licked at his ears for a moment, wondering it he could ever have a calm visit.

“I have never seen your brother act like this.” The smooth, sultry tone of Severine announced Q’s friend coming closer, giving her pup a nuzzle before touching noses with Q and nosing into his scruff.

“Yes, well, he’s an entity unto himself.” The female pulled back to look at him with world-knowing eyes and snuffled at his ear briefly in calm question before bending to nose and sniff at his belly. Bram watched his mother and then giggled pushing his small snout into Q’s fur as well.

The tri-coloured wolf allowed the investigation with a little anxiety before Severine raised her head back to his level and met green eyes with her amber ones. Q stared at her bright, softened irises that seemed liquid with emotion.

“Are you pregnant, my dearest friend?” Q’s ears flicked nervously and he looked away.

“Maybe. I don’t know yet.” Severine slid her fur alongside his till their heads rested against each other and sighed in his ear.

“I hope you are.”

They stayed that way for a while before Q had to move off to greet Boothroyd. The man notoriously never left the Omega pack, though he stayed on the outskirts of it with Kincaid, which meant Q needed to be a messenger for any new inventions he and his fellow constructors in the pack came up with, or queries to hound the more experienced forger with. This time, he had only concepts to bring to their den, but was determined to visit none the less.

Kincaid bustled about with bringing some furs for Q to sit on after he apologised about being unable to shift and use the chairs that the pair had proudly been making. The two older wolves became a bit impossible for a few minutes with fussing and offering him some dried meat snacks and forcing him to lie down fully and relax rather than perch.

“A quicker way of crossing the divide? I don’t see how it’s possible.”

“Well.” Q hesitated, his ideas were sometimes… too farfetched for some wolves to gather, and occasionally he himself didn’t know good idea from bad until they tried testing it. His attempt to make metal paws with sharpened claws that acted like gloves had nearly broken James’ foreleg when he tested one out. “I was thinking like a branch fallen over a river, or a tree, we would use that to cross, yes?” Boothroyd nodded slowly.

“Yes, but any attempt like that would just get blown away in the winds of intelligence pass, and wood would get disintegrated over time and crack under snow-“

“We wouldn’t leave it down all the time.” Q responded quickly. “And reinforce it with metal-“

“Then it would be too unwieldy to get across, that gully is at least 20 feet, we’ll never stabilise it-“

“I’ve got some things in mind for that…” Q interrupted finally, and collected his thoughts, wishing he were able to shift to sketch. _The first inconvenience of many, I’m sure, if I am pregnant_. Still, he spent an enjoyable portion of time fantasising ideas with Boothroyd whilst Kincaid rolled his eyes at the pair of them and Sherlock eventually bustled in, complaining and ready to leave.

-00Q00-

True to his word, Q had returned back to the den even before James that evening, and instead ventured down to join him in the main den. The alpha had spent a long day with Mycroft, then Tanner, then joining his patrol teams around the territory. The pack was doing well, no casualties from the first storm and the outer dens had held up well. Within the main den MI6 was still a hive of activity.

Q trotted up to him where he was scanning a large map of the entirety of the Highland on the pack leader’s stone. Nimbly the omega jumped onto the stone and James lifted an arm for the younger wolf to slide under, tucking him close. There had been some shifting of packs with the first flurry of harsh weather, a few territory spats to be aware of, more lone wolves attempting to seek shelter with a pack for the winter, as they were wont to do. Small, endless things to keep on top of.

Most of it bored James completely, but knowledge could be power, and Mycroft merrily handled most of the truly tedious work.

After a day of walking, Q seemed quite content to linger close to James, moving only as far as to flop puppyish onto Mycroft’s lap and roll over, demanding attention and trapping his brother. The eldest Holmes seemed less then impressed and tried valiantly to keep working until he finally gave up and claimed the rest would keep for tomorrow. Tanner failed to hide his amusement and gave Q’s tail a playful tug on the way past and avoiding the ensuing flail of paws neatly, solemnly informing James that, save disaster, they were as prepared for winter as they could be.

“Good enough for me, see you for the hunt tomorrow.” Mycroft managed to slide out from under Q and allowed his hand to be mouthed for a moment before regaining his composure.

“Are we to take it your heat has been a success?” The older alpha intoned questioningly.

“Hopefully.” James replied, sliding a hand up Q’s flank possessively by instinct as a pair of alpha patrollers came into the den at the end of their shift.

“I wait with baited breath.” James rolled his eyes and looped his arms around Q to lift him up into the air. In his arms Q scrambled his four paws and scrabbled for a moment whilst James carried him out chuckling. The alpha’s concern from the morning was alleviated by Q’s close and lazy proximity for the past hour.

Not to mention tomorrow was their first winter hunt as a pack, the thought was invigorating.

Mycroft may be able to plan the pack’s strategies and manage blanket distribution with his eyes closed, but James lived the other half. He was strong, fit, and relished both the knowledge and chance to practice this. Tomorrow he’d run, and he’d have Q by his side, and the pack around them.

Few things were better than that.

 

-00Q00-

 

Having Q beside him whilst performing exercise somehow seemed a better distinction from the omega being off on his own. After pondering about it whilst the pack conglomerated on the mountainside James resigned himself to the knowledge that he’d just have to keep Q as close as possible, possibly by varying his own schedule. Q, oddly, seemed to be sticking a little closer than normal. James wasn’t about to be picky about why. Either way, Q was usually somewhat ambivalent about hunting, but as either the pack leader’s mate or co-leader, it pleased the pack to have him there occasionally.

_Better now than later_. James thought a little grimly, determined to find a way to broach the conversation of Q taking his own health more seriously whenever he could find the stamina for it.

Today they hunted for any prey easily felled after the tough last week. James had high hopes and fourteen pack members with him and Q. Lestrade and John were with them, along with two of Q’s minions; the mottled dark-furred Monty and the goliath Maurice. Ros’ younger sibling Jo and the slightly oddly lanky Tom were with them, ready to go and flanking three of the packs mated betas, their other halves caring for the pups. There were three older adolescent alpha females that were lingering close to Q and boasting loudly of their nearly non-existent hunting prowess, not quite close enough to make James’ lip curl but near enough to make him huff at their immature attempts to garner favouritism. The two mature alphas with them; one mottled brown-red and one ghostly white wolf respectively named Luna and Aki, were definitely snuffling around Q, ever curious, but respectful when Q snarled and snapped at them.

Really, sixteen was a larger number for a hunt, and James swiftly cut them into two teams, Lestrade, Luna and John heading one, as they trailed away from the main slopes and over the mountains.

With Q, Maurice, Monty, Aki, two of the young female alphas, one grey and the other black, along with one timber-coloured beta, James headed his group in a straight line towards a flatter plateau underlined by a river that was frequented by reindeer. They didn’t have to wait long to catch wind of a herd and split into three smaller groups at his subtle indications. Q headed off in a flank group with the giant Maurice whilst Aki took the other two betas right and James kept the unseasoned adolescents with him.

The herd were on the move and required patience the younger wolves didn’t have yet to reliably pick out the lagging individuals. There were three obvious ones to pick from, and the larger male deer were busy flanking their harems, waiting to deal out a painful blow to a foolish wolf. Some of the bulls were starting to drop their antlers, but at this time of year the females carried theirs firmly and weren’t hampered by calves. Older, lamer bucks were James’ meal of choice, though they had enough wolves that they could take something stronger if opportunity arose.

With shifts of body posture, he indicated the young alphas to imitate him, and began stalking the pack. With the wind in their favour the trio closed distance till the deer realised what tension drove them to close their ranks together, by that time, they were within James’ stern focus and like a well rehearsed dance Aki and the betas harried the herd from the left, driving them slowly towards the river’s barrier.

One of the females with James was passed close by a young startled doe and gave a pouncing snap at her ankles unleashing complete anarchy. With no time to scold the brazen manoeuvre James barked a command at Aki to turn the herd hard as Q and Maurice sent up decoy howls from the right. The herd nearly cut in half and some deer were battered in the crossover as they turned towards and away from the river. The ones crossing were the ones James was after.

The partially frozen ice cracked under their hooves and doubled the struggle to get across through frigid waters. James charged the herd fast as he dared and narrowly navigated the flying hooves of confusion as he saw Q’s dark form streak through the undergrowth to leap largely over the river, scrambling up rocks to avoid hitting the water with Maurice following him. Aki and his betas pandered the remainder of the herd across and James and the younger wolves snapped and snarled at the remaining deer trying to avoid crossing the river until even the most fatigued, unwilling to stand and fight with the herd moving away from them, were forced into the water.

James took the chance to backtrack along the river and cross on what little remained of the thin ice, his alphas following behind him as Aki’s group guarded the bank from reindeer turning back, patrolling up and down.

Q and Maurice had rounded to the point where deer too weak to cross easily would be carried by the current and were holding a one-antlered bull in place from a safe distance as his herd escaped up the slope, leaving the old male behind. James arrived as the buck was snorting and red-eyed, trapped between two wolves and a current. Seeing three more predators the enraged bull charged the lesser evil of Q and Maurice.

Maurice had to be the only wolf James knew who could stare down a bull reindeer without much fright. Q ducked and neatly snapped at a foreleg as Maurice took the distraction of pain to catch the right, un-antlered side of its head. Still the beast reared up and went to bore down on the two wolves until James’ teeth sank into its rump.

Bellowing, the back legs gave way under James’ weight and attack, sinking it to the ground. The younger wolves were at his neck then and it didn’t take much time after that till the old bull lay still.

The large pups were starving and wild after the hunt but James chased them away from the kill as Aki and Q ripped into the legs. James joined them, jostling Aki aside to find another place and both alphas then snarled others off the deer for as long as it took for Q to get his fill. The eating chain followed of grown alphas, grown betas and then the adolescents. Whilst the pups helped to take the weight off the kill James licked Q’s muzzle clean and the pair lounged in the snow, overlooking the valley. Without the sound of reindeer, and when the pups stopped eating to nap, the world fell eerily silent and still, monochromed in grey and still as a held breath.

Q rolled to clean the blood off his muzzle after a while and Monty slumped down by the omega to nose at him whilst one young alpha roused enough to try and curry favour by licking at James’ snout.

The apex of a hunt was a satisfied, primal time and the calming period after it something the alpha had come to savour. After the wolves around him were mostly roused from their eating stupor and ravens were beginning to wheel overhead James pointed his nose to the sky and let out a long howl of success. The group took it up and sang until it was time to turn their attention to the daunting prospect of getting the kill back to the rest of the pack.

With the back legs off the bull was lighter, but not altogether that much lighter to manoeuvre. Maurice grabbed the carcass by the single antler at James’ orders and he took the neck, Aki and the grey alpha girl took one leg, Monty and the timber-beta the second. Q scouted ahead for a point to cross the river and the black adolescent took the back guard.

The process back was laborious with wolves switching often and leaving a bloody trail behind them. Eventually they reached close enough to the pack to howl for reinforcements.

Lestrade and John returned quicker than them, having braved the tricky cliffs for sprightly mountain goats and returning with one of them and a lucky rabbit find.

The pack would eat well with this, and only sustained small scrapes from what sounded like a perilous chase over the precarious cliffs for the goats. They’d have to have many more substantial hunts like this to make the winter, along with ensuring the Omega pack received enough food and didn’t become isolated.

And hunting would only get more difficult as the months wore on.

Following the aftermath of a successful hunt, James wasn’t expecting his mate to take him aside and sit down with a serious expression, finally back in his skin in the warmth of their den after four days of wearing fur.

“I have a question, and I don’t want it to seem… odd, but do I cause problems sometimes?” Cocking his head at Q’s words, James frowned, unable to help a rueful smirk.

“No more than most wolves I don’t think. What brought this on?” Tugging shut their drape covering, James went to lean comfortably against Q. The younger man took his hand and played with the fingers absently.

“There was a minor incident at the omega pack the other day, Hank bowled into me and Sherlock nearly had him by the throat. And then today I’m going off hunting. It seems a strange balance to find out where the line is. Whatever I learned from growing up in a pack is somewhat stilted by circumstance. And then with being neither here nor there for the last few years, I’m wondering if I’m making sensible decisions sometimes. With how to act, what to do. I’m a leader alongside you, and a pack member to almost three packs, and everything I do I love, but if there are children… That will be everything. Change everything.” Q glanced up at his mate, something decisive in his eyes. “They’re the number one priority, already. For some reason I can’t quite fathom. And not just to me but also to others, or so it seems. I don’t want to be inadvertently endangering them, or causing a ruckus because other wolves feel the need to defend me from the slightest thing either… Does any of that make sense?”

To James, it sounded like heaven. He had, and always would, feel much the same. Indeed, he and Q had always been somewhat selfish in their love for each other. Pups were just adding deliciously to that.

“You have no idea how much.” Q sighed out a breath and nodded to himself. “But its not that you’re stunted, life is about changing and adapting, at least it always has been for me. So, if you are pregnant, consider adapting yourself to that. You don’t have to stop loving what you do, you don’t have to change who you are.” With a snort Q elbowed James and then turned to nuzzle him, relaxing some previous tension he’d held in his frame.

“You make too much sense sometimes.”

“I’m flattered.”

“You should be.” Q huffed, though the smile was evident in both their voices through the exchange. James curled one hand around Q’s shoulders, relieved beyond belief that Q had been the one to bring up the topic of caution, albeit in a round about way. Maybe he should learn to give Q a little more credit for his self-awareness than he had been in turn.


	8. Ponder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week at work has escalated into a pretty tough one all culminating yesterday, so thanks for being patient with me getting this out late!  
> I have also decided that shading in pictures is challenging and often confusing.  
> And this week we re-visit one of my very favourite writing topics: Q whump (but at a mild mild level).  
> Hope you enjoy!

[](https://imgur.com/WSgDgej)

 

Typically, after spending three or so days in his fur, Q would inevitably at some point shift back into his skin overnight in his sleep. Waking to find himself plastered with his back to James’ chest was a pleasant enough way for the transformation to happen in Q’s opinion. The alpha had cocooned him again slowly in the night and Q found his arms shifted abnormally up and out of the way to make room for the large hands appraising his belly.

“You’re a mystery.” James murmured almost seductively, nose moving along the column of Q’s neck, pressing gentle kisses there as he sniffed and eventually pressing a bite that Q felt all the way down to his toes, wriggling madly with the pleasing wake up.

Every now and then James would repeat his investigation, scenting Q thoroughly whilst probing him for any physical changes, ensuring Q was thoroughly covered with his scent afterwards. It had been that way for the past few weeks.

Despite James’ ongoing investigations neither wolf could be sure of any pregnancy –much to the alpha’s vocal impatience.

That was until about the fourth week after his heat, whilst he was busy in the forgery, working on the fine-etching for an upgrade in the main den’s medical tools; delicate little things that needed precision. His stomach had been uncomfortable all morning, which was odd considering he’d eaten the same food as ever and kept up his exercise regime. John had ordered them to do as much, that Q should keep up his regular amount of activity for now.

Only when Mindy bounced over, proudly bearing metal containers of lunch retrieved from the main den, given that the crafting dens were all outside by a few metres, Q’s stomach revolted.

Allowing himself only a moment of blind staring horror at the knowledge that he was going to be sick, Q bolted for the den entrance and tumbled ungainly to his knees to throw up on the snow outside.

“Q!” Monty and R surrounded him with worried hands and noses respectively, urging him back inside the warm of the den. Growling them away despite being in only his skin and thin clothes to counter the heat of their working fires, Q continued to heave for a few minutes, prickly to their touch. Mindy was panicking behind him whilst Maurice rung his hands.

“Okay, I’m okay.” Monty patted him on the back as he finished and shakily wiped his mouth; still unable to think about the food Mindy was still carrying. R nosed him encouragingly and dashed out of the den to howl for Bond, Q unable to do so in his skin. Maurice approached as Q started to straighten himself and simply looped arms around the smaller man, lifting him as easily as a ragdoll. Q felt about as useful as one, slightly shocked by the violent episode of nausea and a little flushed despite the snow he’d been sitting in.

There wasn’t much by the way of seating in their working cave but Monty hurriedly rolled a sturdy log against the wall and covered it with a fur, wrapping another around Q’s shoulders as Maurice set him down. Mindy returned holding a hastily emptied water bucket that Q clutched eagerly and proceeded to wretch into for the next fifteen minutes.

Wolves had fairly resolute stomachs, and vomiting was not commonplace unless some sort of suspicious food had been consumed. Given that the pack had all eaten off the same kills for the last week and no one else was sick, the only option left was illness.

Most of the nausea had died by the time James arrived with John. Q watched his mate’s face tense almost imperceptibly as his blue eyes adjusted to the light and took in the sight of the omega slumped against the wall and holding a bucket. Without pausing the alpha strode faster towards him, not letting John get a look in immediately as the larger male leant over Q. Hands slid to his forehead, down to neck and shoulder whilst James’ left hand tightened on his waist. Q offered a weak smile and leant his head briefly against the man’s shoulder until John bustled around them.

“Alright?” James murmured, but the beta medic swiftly took over.

“Just nausea? For how long?” Q explained his predicament, was examined for and cleared of fever, eating any oddities as a pup or starving wolf might, and put on monitoring, fluid and den rest.

“Keep settled and watered, don’t eat too much if you can’t but try and manage something. Call me if he gets a fever or throws up again. No shifting.” The last was addressed to James. The alpha’s hands hadn’t left Q for the entirety of the examination whilst the other wolves hovered curiously in the background. With the all clear to leave, and Q feeling much better for the rest, James hovered as he stood, thanking John and the other craft wolves. With swift words and not a look at them James did much the same, eyes only for Q.

The unsaid words hung in the air, sickness could potentially be indicative of pregnancy, though this was a little violent. One bought of sickness was also irrelevant if it never occurred again. Unless it could also be a sign of some imbalance in the body, potentially something wrong with a pregnancy.

Too many questions for wolves only aware they were carrying for the first time, if that was what it was.

Carefully neither wolf said anything as James huddled Q into warm outer clothes and shifted into his own fur to walk back to their den. The omega kept his hand almost tight in his mate’s scruff as they walked, feeling flutters of excitement cautiously; this would be an unpleasant sign of pregnancy, but he’d take what he could get. He wasn’t overly bothered by a little nausea, though that may well change in the coming months.

-00Q00-

The walk back up to their den wasn’t easy during winter, at least not in the unbalance that their human forms presented. James kept close to his younger mate through the trek and carefully kept worries and hopes to himself, though he could scent the same mingled emotions of anticipation and anxiety in the younger wolf.

Q’s stomach seemed to settle and unsettle itself over the evening. Without any further instructions the pair went about their time as they would any other night and Q had shown no further nausea of the same severity by the time they fell asleep together. James wasn’t sure what he had been hoping for, but was at least relieved that his mate wasn’t in any distress.

Several times in the night James woke with Q’s slightly restless shifting, letting the man move around and hooking a leg or arm back around him when he calmed.

By the morning Q managed through to breakfast before being overcome with the urge to dash clumsily outside to wretch dryly. James followed with all the nerves of the helpless and rubbed Q’s back, turning it into a massage once the omega was done.

“Well, this isn’t much fun.” Q complained, shivering from being naked in the snow. Growling James lifted the man back to his feet, feeling the burn of cold pricking his own toes, and got them back inside. There, Q was ushered into the nest, wrapped with a thick fur and James brought some water over. After rolling his eyes and throwing a blanket over James’ equally naked form as well, Q cautiously also reached out of the nest far enough to grab one of their bowls for holding washing water, drawing it close with a grim little expression of distaste.

“Just in case.”

Rather than panic, Q hadn’t thrown up completely after all, James waited until mid-day, when the omega had suffered through low-level recurring nausea for the last few hours, otherwise able to carry on as relatively normal, and finally thrown up again when offered lunch.

“I’m calling John.” Q spat into the bowl and nodded whilst gathering his breath.

“Good idea. I’ll just sit here and be revolting.” James didn’t manage to smile at Q’s attempt to lighten the mood. Despite his excitement of knowing that Q being sick and going off his food potentially meant he was pupped, he didn’t relish seeing the love of his life in distress.

The weather had remained crisply cold without new snowfall, leaving tracks and paths through the white un-hidden and easy to use. James was glad of the fact when John reached them swiftly after the alpha howled for him, the reply coming from up the mountain where the medic and Sherlock shared their den.

Rather annoyingly, the lanky beta came along as well. James grumbled but let them both into the den. He could have done without having more people concerned about Q in the vicinity, all the attention made him feel the need to stand guard over his mate.

“Well, there is one possible cause for this that would be a good thing, as I’m sure you both know.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” But the usual snap was missing from Sherlock’s voice as he gazed towards his brother. Q just sighed and leant back.

“If it _is_ pups; wonderful. But I’m not going to start celebrating until I’m sure.” James hummed in agreement, sitting behind Q as John asked questions about the sickness and checked him over again. After a while the doctor sat back, looking relatively calm.

“Well if its pups you’re clearly in for it, there’s a few reasons that could be. If it goes away when you shift next then that might answer some more questions. Until then try to eat little bits whenever you can.

The two left without Sherlock uttering another word but looking calculating none the less. John seemed relaxed and the two mates allowed themselves to calm too.

Two days later Q shifted and showed no more nausea though did roll around a bit with some odd restlessness and ‘discomfort’ in his belly or abdominal muscles. James couldn’t get much more out of him than that, since the feeling didn’t seem to bother Q that much and faded during the week so that the omega resumed normal, if fur-stunted duties around the pack.

The pack, who were also only too aware of Q holding his shifts for long phases, and being sick, and looked a little bloodthirsty with excitement.

-00Q00-

The weather that had remained peaceful for several days was starting to whip into a fever once more, the beginning stages of a tantrum. Snippy little gusts of wind caught land and air animals alike and thrust them cruelly out of the way for a few vital seconds before grudgingly returning to temporary calm.

Q had been looking after the pack pups with James one afternoon, a novel experience for both pack leaders to be scheduled onto crèche time as it was. James had had to come in to cover Molly, a female alpha around Sherlock’s age who’d sprained her right foreleg when felled off course by the wind. Even as the pair watched the pups wading through the carefully maintained outside play area the wind whistled and whipped through the snow to twist a small cream and dark legged pup completely off her feet and over a small incline. Both wolves had leapt forwards with a cry of the baby’s name when the wind sprung up again.

“Here!” Q barked low and sharp at the other pups, already huddling over a group of three clustered together and leaning out to pull Blitz over by the scruff of his neck before the injured boy could lose his already unsteady paws.

“Fuji!” Q could hear James call for the disturbingly-not-yelping pup and saw the equally worrying sight of snow flying up into the air as his mate dug.

“Q, Q help!” Ochre was starting to get bustled by the wind, fluffy pup fur obscuring her reddish face. Q had rarely felt such panic so close to home and wicked out his tail hurriedly, the appendage just long enough to curl around and over the female pup. Obediently Ochre mouthed till she got a good bite of his tail and he steered her into the shelter of his body. Crouching over the bundle of pups Q looked up and nearly melted with relief to see James emerging with a sluggishly blinking Fuji in his jaws.

They’d made a tight rush back into the main cavern where James had wasted no time carrying Fuji off to the medical den. Q had carefully comforted the three scared puppies and calmed the two exuberantly excited ones, feeling a little overwhelmed with fret and unable to shake the surprisingly heroic image of his mate carrying such a vulnerable pup to safety.

His heart went a little aflutter at the mental picture, truth be told.

Fuji had a mild concussion and had lost some crucial body heat, but recovered well over the next few days. The same could not be said for Q.

His waist and abdomen had been uncomfortable during the first few days of his shift, as if stuffed with too much food… or similar to his latest heat where James had kept him almost painfully full. The feeling had left him with inappetence but thankfully not much nausea. Q didn’t want to say as much to James necessarily, but his instincts were telling him that this _had_ to be pregnancy. There was no other explanation for the collection of symptoms unless he’d picked up an illness somewhere, and if so, none of the rest of the pack had it.

Still, he wasn’t well able to ask because whilst they had three female betas that had had children; the mothers of the pack pups, they experienced pregnancy quite differently. They went through similar issues yes, in terms of pup sickness, but they typically only ever carried one, not litters. He would have happily wracked the brains of Severine or Charles but didn’t quite fancy the journey.

Feeling better as he was in the last two days, without any aching and eating better, Q had sought to comfort his mate as much as possible, given that James had been sleeping less. The alpha was clearly worried and internalizing his fret, but without James coming out and talking to him about it all Q could do was support him. He knew James well enough to know that the alpha would talk to him when he was ready. Thus Q woke James that morning by wriggling around until he could mouth at the alpha’s muzzle in play. Quick as a snap the pale wolf woke and nudged Q back a little grumpily till he rolled over. Merrily the darker wolf rolled back onto his back and lashed his tail around, tongue lolling out of his mouth. James stretched, licked him on the nose and then lay down to clash teeth with Q in light wrestling. After a few minutes play dissolved into James licking at the eye patches on Q’s face till thoroughly satisfied. The practice seemed to always leave James both calm and smug, in a way Q found too endearing and amusing to point out, never mind the fact that he quite enjoyed it too.

However, regardless of the amounts of times Q flopped into James’ lap or played or seemed perfectly healthy tension remained a knot and coil within the centre of the alpha in a subconscious way. There was no way to explain just _why_ the omega felt that he was possibly pregnant to his mate, so Q didn’t try to, after all he himself was slightly doubtful of the inklings now his sickness had died down. Until they had a confirmation of pups though, James had two things to worry about; that Q was potentially ill and that he wanted to know if Q was pregnant.

If Q _was_ pregnant then undoubtedly James would then worry about that, but at least he would be happy and protective rather than worried and protective.

After being in his fur for most of the week, Q shifted after waking one morning with a stretch and promptly whined, lurching hands to his stomach where he felt squirmy and odd like his insides were sucking in. James, stretching beside him, was alert in an instant.

“Q?”

“I feel-“ The instinct was to lurch back into his fur, where he’d felt settled and filled with the cautious hope of carrying new life. He couldn’t do that however, and instead glanced slightly wide-eyed at his tight-lipped, piercing eyed mate. “Shifting oddness, I don’t,” He paused again with a little growl, unable to fully determine the weird sense of not loss, so to speak, but an awareness that his body was just not arranged quite right. “I think I’m just going to lie here for a moment.” He finally managed, easing back down and closing his eyes to breathe, feeling James’ slightly too-firm hand card into his hair.

“Do you want the doctor?”

“Not now.” He just wanted to be still and wait, breathe. Without another word James settled down beside him and carefully looped arms around the younger wolf till Q’s head was coaxed into the crook of his neck.

“Okay, just breathe then, I’m here.” Q could almost feel James blowing out his own tension in order to keep Q calm and take care of him. It was impressive, really.

Shifting oddities happened every now and then, but usually only in very young or very old wolves. In the young shifting took getting used to after newborn pups spent about a year in their fur. Becoming naked skin-clad creatures for the first time was confusing and often traumatic, only possible and aided through the mother shifting enough times for decent stretches whilst pregnant, and by both parents helping the pups through the first shift and learn what their bodies were meant to be like. Even then, it was hard and there were slips. Q distinctly remembered playing a dare with Sherlock when he was a pup where they both tried to stay in wolf form for a month. Both only managed two weeks before getting forced to shift by their parents. For three days after Sherlock had sported a wolfy muzzle instead of his own and Q had come out with a stubby tail he couldn’t shift away for a week.

For older wolves their cells and energy sometimes inhibited their shifting with age. Most chose to stay almost solely in one form for the last few years of life.

The only other time it really happened was during pregnancy. Harbouring a second, or more, entirely new life within you, a collection of growing lives that had no inkling of how to shift created some problems. The young learned to shift by signals from when their mother did so, but it was a slow process to learn with occasional relapses until seamless mother and pup switches could occur.

Usually, however, the differences between wolf and human were so incremental at first that ‘shifting pains’ didn’t happen until the second month, leaving the wolf full of larger womb and pups then it’s body would hold until they shifted, and the reverse true with the human.

The earliness of noticing these discrepancies, along with the potent sickness, left Q a bit confused however, though it wasn’t unheard of.

“I just think it’s, I hope it’s…” Q trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud in case he was wrong but desperate to meet James’ eyes. The blue irises were sparked through with hope as cautious as Q’s, marred marginally by the worry.

“It’s early, if you are.” He repeated John’s words and Q’s thoughts. The omega could see however, as James reached down to rest his hand on Q’s sternum, careful of his belly but staring at it as if mesmerised, that the alpha was coming to believe the same beautiful hope too.

-00Q00-

James watched Q’s recovery with baited breath. For the first day the omega moved little, but ate and drank okay, enough so that when he was feeling slightly better by the next morning James felt able to go down and check on the pack. John had asked after Q, as had Mycroft. Tanner and Lestrade were too tactful to ask if anything was wrong but kept in hearing range of the answer. One of Q’s minions checked in as well. Since the early days of Q’s return it wasn’t like him to be away from the pack so long.

Intrinsically he knew they would all calm into happiness if he told them they suspected pups. But getting Q pregnant seemed so touch and go that he didn’t want to admit to anything just yet. Chances of miscarriage were high within wolves. Especially during the early stages. Especially during winter.

Better to wait until it was confirmed.

“Resting, but much better, visit later if you want.” Mycroft looked mildly unimpressed by the idea of leaving the main den and venturing into the cold, but easily read James’ unwillingness to talk in front of half the pack. John picked up on it too, nodding slightly but saying nothing.

Quarrels amongst the crafting wolves kept him in the den later than he’d have preferred, they were growing concerned that many of the furs would need to be replaced entirely next year as the moths seemed to have gotten at them. James put Sherlock’s investigation squad on the case; see if the man could come up with anything to remove the moths. He didn’t want to think about the possibility that they would be eaten out of usable furs during winter. In a miserly manner James mentally tallied the furs he and Q had in the den and decided that they would have enough, even for whelping, as long as they didn’t give any away. Priorities were obvious, for James. His pack was paramount but Q would always come first.

Mycroft and John were ready by the time he was preparing to leave and kept up well, even if the older alpha wrinkled his nose at how deep his paws sunk into the snow. John made much better progress, despite his smaller body being dwarfed by some snowdrifts.

Worryingly they were greeted on their approach by the sight of Q throwing up in the snow again, barely dressed. Charging forwards James reached his mate and hurriedly sniffed over his face and exposed skin, licking at chilled limbs as Q finished heaving and moved to cling onto him groaning.

Whining the large wolf let Q shiver and hug him for a moment before trying to force him up and inside, the clothes Q was wearing would only be suitable in-den and already he felt painfully cold against James’ sensitive nose and ears, moving sluggishly.

“ _Brother_!” Mycroft’s horrified voice filled the air as James spoke urgently in Q’s ear.

“Inside Q, now.”

“T-t-trying.” And he was, shifting as if to stand but chilled to the bone. Without waiting to watch him struggle further James took a deep breath and shifted into his skin, breathing through the pain of the frigid temperature and easily looping arms around Q. The younger man hung arms around him without hesitation. Ignoring John and Mycroft exclaiming profanities about willingly shifting in this weather James carried Q past the entrance to their den and had to crouch and finally let him go and push the omega through the narrowing ahead of him.

“S-sorry I g-g-got st-stuck.” Q stuttered, teeth chattering in cold and curling into himself. Feeling too petrified to form words and half blindingly angry James scooped Q up again and stripped him of wet clothes before bundling with him into nest, holding the icy, shaking body close.

“Why did you go outside? We have the bucket.” He finally grumbled, voice just barely civil as Mycroft and John scrambled into the den.

“J-just gone out to p-piss, q-quicker t-to go b-b-back-k.” Q’s own voice was strained with tension, the lingering threat of being trapped outside whilst he was throwing up too much to move and then feeling cold steal away his strength. Now he was looking the alpha could see the half-shed pile of clothes by the entrance to the den. Slowly he let himself breathe in and out and start to calm.

“Okay, you’re alright. Got all your fingers?” James started to examine his mate carefully, running his hands along shaking cool skin and checking fingers and toes. John and Mycroft shifted to their skins and sought about starting a fire and closing the hide draping over the entrance. Q’s shivering had lessened by that point and he huffed out a long breath to calm himself, twisting to look at James. The alpha kissed his cheek before realising that Q was drawing his hand down and frowned.

“I think we’ve got something else to worry about too.” Blue eyes squinted at Q before realising that his hand was cupping low around the omega’s very slightly rounded belly. Eyes widening as Q grinned a bit smugly James forgot the ability to breathe for a moment. John approached them cautiously.

“Do you need checking over?” Q turned his toothy smile up to the beta.

“Maybe a little bit.” James rushed to ease Q into a sitting position and unwrap the blankets enough that the omega’s belly was exposed. John’s eyebrows raised in amazement, as did Mycroft’s from where he sat himself closer in curiosity.

“Well, that about confirms it.” Carefully the shorter man rubbed his hands together to warm them and placed them on Q’s belly, palpating very slightly and gently. James couldn’t help the growl that rose in his throat, hand hovering on Q’s waist ready to cover the vulnerable swell of his abdomen. “Oh don’t give me that,” John condemned, glaring at James and turning to ask Q questions about the sickness, finally sitting back and beaming.

“Its pups, I don’t think there’s a doubt.”

“Of course its pups, you can smell it on him.“ Mycroft scoffed haughtily, much to the surprise of the other wolves in the den. Even with the brusque words, the alpha failed to hide the pride in his eyes and voice as he stood and moved to kiss Q’s forehead in blessing. “Congratulations little one, you’ll need to keep them safe now. And you’ll need to keep him inside and safe.” Mycroft stated the last bit to James, who bit his tongue at the rebuke, already thinking about getting more buckets for the den whilst Q suffered pup sickness.

“Yes,” John murmured, moving aside James’ protective hands to cop another feel. “You must be carrying multiples, that’s why you’re showing a bit earlier, not to mention you’re skinny as a rake as it is. I doubt you’ll show for a while in your fur though, skin always shows quickest.”

“How many multiples?” Q asked, sounding both astounded to have it confirmed and a bit overwhelmed at the concept. Carrying many pups was normal for omegas. Betas tended to carry twins at most, but healthy omegas usually had litters. Memory served well that Silva had once estimated that with Q’s size and the stressors of his run, and with alphas he had very little bond with, the omega would probably carry three pups on average, which would have been on the low side of litter numbers.

“I can’t know for sure, but most likely you’ve got a true litter nestling in there, something over five if you’re showing like this.” By the shift of Q’s shoulders James could tell the omega was equally astounded.

“More than _five_?” Mycroft confirmed, looking dubiously at Q’s thin body and the draping covering the worst of the winter outside. “Oh my.”

“Now, there’s nothing to worry about, this was normal before the disease hit remember? If we’re careful hopefully you’ll keep them all alright.”

“But five-“

“More than five. At least more than five.” John enforced. “Five wouldn’t show even this early. In another week or two maybe.”

James curled Q into him and felt his mouth curl into a smirk as he rested one large hand on the omega’s slightly plump belly.

“We did well, then.” He purred, soul alight with pride and excitement as his hand massaged Q’s belly softly, the omega’s hands came to rest over his own, smiling a little himself.

“It’s okay, its not abnormal to carry a lot of pups, don’t forget how fickle carrying them to term can be, but every week you’ve had them is lessening that. By the time you’re in your third month most of the dangers from the inside will have passed.” Gently soothing words from their doctor turned businesslike with a throat-clearing cough.

“Now, in your fur you can carry on as normal. Eat and rest as you feel the need to but your wolf form will be the only way you can reliably exercise, which is important. It’s your skin we need to worry about, that’s much less adapted to carrying pups inside you. Try to rest more than exercise, shouldn’t be hard; you’ll be tired. And eat well, as soon as the nausea has settled. Don’t be worried if you lose some more weight first though, you can gain some back in your fur at least. Finally, don’t go outside on your own.”

All three other wolves in the den shot worried glances around at the last command. It was all very well for Q to stay in the den in his skin, but at least _one_ of the pack leaders needed to be making appearances in the pack every few days, even in winter. And leading hunts too. If Q couldn’t move from the den alone to even relieve himself it would be a problem. Although after today James could see why it was a vitally necessary inconvenience.

“John that’s hardly practical.” Mycroft suggested, looking frayed at the very thought of the logistical nightmare it presented whilst at the same time reaching out to keep a hand on Q’s knee.

“Nonsense it doesn’t have to be James all the time, we’ll start a rota, some of the inner circle, maybe our young apprentice in the medical wolves, some of the omega pack too can spend a week with you. This is how the pack bonds with new puppies and expresses loyalty and friendship to the parents. They _want_ to be involved. Just because it hasn’t been necessary for years doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten how to bond through litters.”

Now that the beta mentioned it, James could almost remember an odd few days he’d spent as an adolescent guarding one heavily pregnant omega in MI6 and growing to care for her immensely in an entirely familial way. He’d not remembered the time for years, there hadn’t been many omegas in MI6 to begin with given the harsh climate being less conducive to raising families, and what few there had been were taken by the disease. He didn’t like to dwell on the thought of their helpless deaths, no wolf did.

“I will stay for tonight.” Mycroft volunteered seamlessly. “And the next couple of days until a rota is sorted, it would be a pain to go down now anyway in the dark.” With that the oldest alpha drew a fur around himself and went to examine Q’s marked out area for an indoor bath. “Come and talk to me about this Q.” James glanced at his mate, able to read the same whirlwind of excitement and joy cascading under Q’s skin. Sadly they weren’t being given time to celebrate together, James could barely contain himself with pulling Q into a deep kiss and nuzzle before letting the omega go. Underneath that lurked a mounting pressure and importance. He had a mate cradling a litter of pups, in one of the most inhospitable climates populated by wolves… There was a lot that could go wrong. His instincts were restless.

“I’ll stay too, that way I can keep an eye on his sickness and check his temperature gets back to normal. And I’ll want to see him after his next shift into fur too.”

As it turned out Q had little chance to feel cold that evening. Once the fire had started going well Sherlock had managed to find his way to John’s side and the medic had prepared some rice with just a bit of flavoured broth that even Q could manage, the omega had been surrounded by the other wolves in a sleep pile fit to warm any den. Mycroft shifted into fur to sleep and Q latched around the pudgy form happily. One of his hands managed to reach out and snag Sherlock’s forepaw to absently play with the pads of his paw. James bracketed him from the other side and John shifted curled up with his head on Q’s flank so that one of his ears was pressed to the omega’s belly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those wondering, this chapter's picture, from left to right, features: John, Sherlock, Mycroft, Lestrade (over Q), Q, James and finally Tanner. The close-pack! (We all know John's in charge really, at least in my mind)  
> Thanks for reading and supporting!


	9. Divide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everybody! Hope you've all had some nice time off and are hankering for more wolfy drama!
> 
> Also, these chapters have all turned out massive lately, I clearly have no control when it comes to dividing this beast up into chunks.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> Warning; a little domestic angst this week...

[](https://imgur.com/SUotWpK)

 

Pregnant. They’d finally done it, knowingly at least.

John was insisting on having round-the-clock company for Q, and James couldn’t deny that he felt a little better for it given the vicious bite of winter and coming to find Q lying out in the snow unable to get himself indoors.

Most importantly though, this meant a singular deciding moment had to take place; they would need to make it official to their pack. Most of the wolves in MI6 were bright enough to have probably worked out what was going on, but James and Q, after brief discussion, thought that it was best to reward their patient wolves, even if that meant James going on his own to howl at the front of the den since Q couldn’t shift back yet, rather than the pair of them going.

So there he stood, on an evening growing so violently tempestuous that no wolf would likely be out to hear him, and as a momentary parting in clouds granted a slant of subdued, burnt sunlight onto the world, he pointed his nose to the heights and howled.

The song was long, true and old. 

_New life_.

It settled into his bones and soul as if saying it made it finally true. He could only hope it remained that way. The world travelled fast, one or two wolves joining in with solemn pride and hope, then the rest, till the mountain was ringing with music that could be heard within their den for Q’s ears too.

There would be joviality in the howls later, when the pups were born. Yet the determination and promise, dedication and pride of his pack left James full of purpose. These wolves had trusted him and Q to lead them, to guide their pack and their future.

Finally, years after it first became a possibility in their minds, their leaders were paying back their patience.

MI6 was to have alpha-omega pups for the first time in over a decade. They were long overdue.

 

-00Q00-

 

Rotational company for Q seemed to go well. The pack was almost squabbling for a turn, in the way their pack tended to when over-excited. Some jobs slowed down over winter, and with less to do the prospect of guarding their newly pregnant leader was enticing to many.

The omega was still suffering from pup sickness and James was loath to leave whenever he had to, but the bitter temperatures had raised food consumption and the pack needed to hunt regularly. Mycroft spent a day with Q and was then replaced by Mindy the Minion so that Q could discuss his new limitations. Unless the weather considerably improved, Q wasn’t going to be leaving his den in his skin till spring.

One minion would always quickly become more, however. James came back from a hunt carrying a goat’s hind leg in his mouth to cook for Q, to find that his den had become overrun by his mate’s own personal army.

Not that he didn’t like the motley group, in fact he was rather fond of the bright wolves that handled the pack’s mechanical progress, but having them all in his den at once was a bit too much. Q moved over to hug him as he entered and paused, goat leg hanging from his mouth. The man had heavy eyes and nuzzled into James’ pale fur and soft ears in the way he did when he was tired and looking to settle down for a kip.

One thing John had gotten right without a doubt was that Q was amazingly easily tired. He thumped his tail twice and stayed with Q wrapped around him and gradually leaning ever heavier before nudging the man out of his doze. His jaw was beginning to ache from holding the leg, and though he could hold such a weight longer than most, if Q was falling asleep on him maybe that required more attention. Rousing, Q blinked and his eyes cleared, seeming to realise what he had done and going over to bid farewell to the still chattering and discussing minions.

The other wolves tidied up the sketches and prototypes they’d brought and gave Q long nuzzles and James a nose sniff or nod before shifting and departing.

James deposited the leg and leaned in to his made so that Q would scratch his fur for a long minute before shifting, gathering the man close as they started dinner.

“How’s the Branch?” Q huffed with a smile at James’ nickname for the bridge he was trying to create.

“Promising, actually. The metalled ropes have tested well, the miniature works… I’ve asked Sherlock to scout suitable tree types… I’m just thinking about the shock absorption and equipping it to handle the winds. We’ve never worked with this amount of metal before and I’m thinking we’ll need to encase the whole tree in it to make it strong enough. It’s an undertaking.” Q frowned for a moment. “It would be helpful if I didn’t keep napping. Still, we got a fair amount of the theoretics done.” The slight crease of thought was still between the omega’s brows, but it was the good kind. James could recognise the expression of a tricky, demanding problem to solve on his mate. Q lived for it. “How was the hunt?”

“The young ones are coming on.” James shrugged as he skinned off the goat’s fur and salted it to dry. Some of these smaller bits of hide would make good chews for the pups when they teethed. His fingertips strayed momentarily on the piece of fur at the thought of it, of providing for them already. “But their impulse control is pathetic. Gala nearly bit Aki’s leg instead of the damn goat’s.” Q hummed soft and amused, but with a little caution.

“They’ll learn or they’ll fail, I suppose.”

“They’d better learn. We don’t have time for failure in winter. Prey’s only going to get more scarce.”

The prepared and snapped in-two goat’s leg was dropped into the water pot on the bone with a heavy splash. James would start to go on separate hunts soon when he had the chance. Catch what he could for his mate whilst Q needed it so much, needed extra.

Variation in diet was important. James could easily catch rabbits and maybe even some birds for Q on his own, travel to the rivers where fish were if he got a day for it. Prey the pack wouldn’t bother catching for large numbers, but would help supplement their growing pups in the cold winter.

-00Q00-

The reality of pregnancy hadn’t begun to sink in more than a happy, protective sort of glow. Q spent most of his time in his skin asleep, nauseated, giving various foods wary eyes and being entertained by R and the three M’s. One of the omega’s hands usually trailed down to poke or rub ever curiously at his stomach. The motion of cupping his hand there felt like giving an extra blanket of warmth or comfort to their minute, ever-growing children. It wasn’t glamorous, but Q was so tired all the damn time he didn’t much care.

His next shift was more testing. Dutifully Q waited the five days out in his skin before James and he had a day alone in the den. The timing seemed perfect for another attempt at shifting, with the den quiet and before his pup sickness –which had been bad during the early hours of the night- could kick up another fuss.

James was stretching gloriously in front of him, entirely nude and gleaming muscles on show. The idea of goosing the alpha’s backside gently with his teeth was entirely too tempting. James was just brilliant when shocked. Instead of the stealth operation however, Q’s smirking shift turned into a yowl of pain that left him collapsing to the floor and shivering to turn back.

“Q!” James was on him in a heartbeat, automatically scruffing Q’s neck to calm him and inadvertently preventing the omega from shifting to skin. His insides felt squashed, crushed and smothered as his belly ached, the skin taught and swollen. Dozens of receptors were shooting pains up and down his spine to his brain and left him vibrating with the relentless pressure.

“What happened? Q-“ He knew the same instant why James had stopped talking, between his ragged panting there was the rising smell of blood in the air. Q whimpered in frustration and loss, anger, fear. Again, this was happening _again_ and _why_?

“Stay.” With the command Q could hardly fail to obey James shifted faster than the omega had ever seen and sprinted out of the den so fast his back legs skidded on the stones and nearly knocked over a bucket. The loud, urgent call for medical aid and consequent responses were nearly lost on Q.

The pain seemed to be lessening a bit as James came back to him, just as fast and hurriedly pulling bedding around, careful not to jostle Q. The younger man didn’t want to even look back at himself, knowing what he’d see. Instead he steadied his breathing, still feeling the awful stretching pressure like a metal ball had been stuffed inside him regardless of organs. The severity was slightly diminished but nonetheless the agony kept him tethered closely to his body.

James was running a soothing hand over his ears and with a whine Q heaved himself around slightly till his head rested in the man’s lap, keening with every breath and trembling at the constant pressure.

“Just breathe Q, I’ve got you.” But James’ voice was strained by the time John and another male beta medic named Roy arrived.

“Okay, let’s take a look, easy now.” John investigated him carefully as always, Roy checking Q’s eyes and pulse until the omega turned his face away to push his nose into James’ stomach, muffling a pained howl there. The alpha’s hands tightened on him whilst Roy’s retracted to soothingly stroke his withers. Their usual medic took the business end, as it were. Q didn’t think James would allow any other wolf around his back end no matter Q’s state, especially now. The beta lifted one of Q’s quivering legs and breathed out a long, slow sigh before checking around Q’s stomach.

Here Q whined as John’s hand even rested over his swollen abdomen and snarled threateningly into James’ stomach when John felt around.

“John…” James’ own voice was low and warning, fraught with tension.

“Bear with it, please. Q, it’s not a lot of blood, whatever else, most of them are okay.”

“Some blood with a shift like this isn’t abnormal, the organs not shifting correctly at first can cause pressure.” Roy added, his gravelly, articulated voice alert but not overtly worried, same as John’s.

“We’re going to stay and make sure there’s nothing worse. If the pain increases or changes it could be either the pups or your organs at worst, but it should lessen in a few hours. Try not to shift back, no matter the pain.”

The request wasn’t easy, given that Q’s entire being, particularly from the base of his spine down, were determinedly itching to shift back.

“Steady, Q.” James rumbled, John wiping him clean and Roy starting the food James had never gotten around to. Finally, with not insubstantial effort and bravery, Q thought, he managed to wince open his eyes to meet James’, blues already staring down at him and thumb tracing the thick fur on Q’s cheek. “Don’t…” He wasn’t sure and would never know what James cut himself off from saying, but he wondered if it wasn’t ‘Don’t leave me’. 

And that thought was sobering enough to not hunt for a different answer.

 

-00Q00-

 

Q’s pain gradually lessened over the next four hours. Over that time James watched his lips stop twitching in pain, eyes blink with less of a harsh twitch. Still his paws trembled, something James had only seen on his mate once before, when Silva tore into the very stomach that was causing Q problems now. It didn’t help to ease the tight fear in him that was only growing with Q in pain as he was. Seeing the blood.

Not near as much blood as there’d been with the fly fever, but any blood was bad. Q hadn’t managed to eat anything either, simply turning away with a pinched whine when Roy offered him the plainest of rice. James guiltily ate his own meal whilst not moving from his position as Q’s pillow, bearing the numbness in his legs for the sake of the omega’s comfort.

John and Roy’s expressions didn’t loose their focus until a good few hours had passed with no more bleeding and Q finally turned to look up at James with softer eyes.

“Hey there.” Q licked his hand a little, looking exhausted, and whuffed a soft bark and long sigh. He could see the relief in Q’s eyes for the pups and lessening of pain in his belly. James couldn’t calm that quickly, not when reality was sinking in for him like the pervasive scent of rot around an old carcass. He should take the small victories in the same way Q did, but his focus was on the bigger picture.

Not only was he on tenterhooks for his mate; if they pulled this off, he’d have however many blind and deaf pups to shepherd through life. Pups to worry and fret about and keep safe. Right now, when he couldn’t even help Q, it felt like an insurmountable task.

Such thoughts grew easier to deal with as Q made progress within the day, finally eating a meal and managing to sit up and stretch.

“Alright, you’re looking okay. No exercise for a good day though.” Q whined and tilted his head at John, shifting from paw to paw on his front legs and clearly bored of sitting in the den. “Not until you’ve had a day without pain, Q. And you should probably try to shift a bit more often too, every three or four days so long as you’re not in any pain. The worst of it should clear up within the next month.”

“Month?” Q grumbled out wolfily. Roy and John huffed laughs but James just rubbed between Q’s ears. For the first time the alpha realised how ridiculously glad he was that Q was bearing this burden and not him; he’d have been unable to stand being cooped up inside for that length of time. Or to be stuck in one form so long.

 

-00Q00-

 

With a day’s rest under his paws, Q felt like a new wolf. He wasn’t relishing his next shift, scheduled in a day, but he was otherwise in good spirits. There hadn’t been enough blood to suggest they’d lost puppies, and he was still pregnant, although the look was much more subtle under his fur.

He’d finally been given the all clear to leave the den too.

Clouds and sun battled in the sky as James led the way out onto the mountain and Q finally stretched his paws on the crisp ice-topped snow. Low wind whipped blusters of fine powder around their ankles as the wolves set off downhill.

“Finally,” Q moaned, delight palpable as he broke from a tame trot and leapt over a snowdrift, testing his legs. James easily scaled it behind him, landing neater and snuffling at Q’s tail with a bitten-back worry.

“You need to take it easy.”

“What I need is some Blanca-damn exercise. I’m exhausted with all this stillness. John even said to exercise.”

“Not right now, not after that.” James was firm, even his stance looking stubborn and Q whine-growled in frustration.

“I’m not going to hurt myself by bloody jumping.”

“We don’t know that-“

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Q retorted shortly, turning away as annoyance flooded him like an alien presence, hot under his skin.

_To hell with it_. Shaking himself with a grumble Q sprung forwards into a dash through the snow, ignoring James’ harsh bark behind him. The wind, the speed, the sense he could fly if he just- Q’s legs backpedalled wildly to stop himself from crashing into the pale blur that was James overtaking him to block the path. As it was Q‘s muzzle and cheek bashed awkwardly into the alpha’s shoulder blade and left his nose stinging. Unimpressed blue eyes glanced at him and Q snarled and nipped at his mate’s ear in admonishment, the alpha leaning out the way haughtily.

“I could have hit you!” Q snapped, only to have James snarl and whip round to nip back at his shoulder. Q yelped and skipped out the way, raising his hackles in a growl.

“Stop and think Q. This is about more than just you now; you have to look after them. Lobo knows you won’t ever let me slow you down but at least don’t be selfish to our pups!”

Possibly, it was the first time James had ever raised his voice to Q. Certainly it was the first time the alpha had ever told him off physically in seriousness. Q sat down with the shock, hackles dropping, though he stayed separated from James. The pale wolf seemed equally unwilling to move near him, still tense in what Q could see as holding off more anger than he was showing. The thought was more than a little unnerving. He’d not been scared of James since the start, and come a long way to be more confident around alphas, but the air seemed fractured in a shift in dynamic now.

After a moment, one of his _stop and breathe_ moments that he more or less to implement when his emotions ran high, he breathed out long and hard. Maybe he should have done this in the first place too before running off like a loon, but that was too late now. 

Not necessarily fear, but something close to it was smarting between them in the air. Q had come a long way, but he still felt a flood of unpleasant anxiety at the incident. James had never been pushed this far before though, and Q realised that for all he told James off a lot, the alpha rarely did it back. Maybe it used to be easier, at first he had to follow James’ lead anyway being young and injured, new to a horrifying new world. Now they were equals in experience, both adult wolves and steadfast in their relationship… The years they had together lent Q rationality rather than panic that he was being betrayed. That wasn’t what was happening, and he trusted James.

“What are you saying?” He asked carefully, if this was new and unexplored territory he chose to tread it with the utmost care. James let out a frustrated breath, and began ranting.

“You’re always having to prove something, I don’t know if it’s to me or everyone or yourself but every time something big happens you have to charge headlong into it, without giving a damn and its reckless and I’m not going to control you, I hope you’d know that I never would, but I thought when you talked to me after that last hunt, that you were going to try and think things through before running headlong off a mountain and I’m not going to let you harm our pups, or yourself however unintentionally, there’s too much at stake this time.” Both a flush of renewed anger and shock filled Q’s veins.

“I would never-“

“How would you know?” James’ voice sounded tired now, maybe frustrated. “Blanca knows you’re not about to break, but they might. If we run the risk of losing one when you shift, just, give them a chance Q, they’re barely alive. They don’t have to prove anything, fight for their lives. They can’t right now, and wasn’t the whole point of everything we’ve done here been so our children wouldn’t have to fight? Don’t make them fight so young, Q, they’re so small right now.”

Silence greeted James’ words for the longest time. Q hadn’t really thought about it like that. He was a jaded little creature, really, or proud at least. Not for a moment had he considered that he was enforcing hardship on his own pups.

“Okay, you’re right.” He murmured quietly, examining the snow between his paws. James’ whoosh of breath signalled the alpha’s relief, though Q still didn’t look up. “But you do know I’ll _have_ to exercise? It’s not healthy not to.”

“I know.” James replied quickly, moving a bit closer though keeping a few paw lengths between them. “But not right now, not when you were just in pain.” Q finally met the man’s eyes at that.

“There’s a good chance I could spend this entire pregnancy in some sort of pain. How are you going to decide when’s the right time all of a sudden?” The words were a bit biting, but this was new and Q didn’t know where he stood, not to mention he felt the sting of humiliation and guilt at endangering their pups… at being told off for it.

“For the love of Blanca, Q, I just want to know you’ll be sensible.” James tried, temper gone but patience frayed.

“Define sensible.” James growled and shook his head as if to temper himself and Q sighed. “Sorry. I don’t like… It’s not easy…” James waited, barely, and Q snarled at himself, at the feeling of doubt. “I don’t enjoy being told off and especially by you… I feel like every other wolf knows how to handle a pregnancy except me. I couldn’t even get pregnant and now I’m expected to be a natural about it and I’m not-“

The helpless spew of words were cut off by James nuzzling over his neck though Q spun away from him regardless, growling James off further contact and putting space between them pointedly. James, clearly struggling not to go to his upset mate, burned blue eyes at him intensely instead.

“You’ve done _nothing_ wrong.”

“Then why are you-“

“I’m _scared_ , Q.” the words were emphasised with James giving into his urges and moving to but their heads together, Q pressing back as they both relieved a bit of frustration with each other and themselves. “You have no idea how much. And when you never listen to me-“

“I listen to you.”

“Not when you think you know better.” That was true enough, Q supposed. Strength, forced or subtle, had been his biggest saviour throughout life, strength in his own convictions. How easy it was to forget that James was sometimes pushed to the side because of it. “I don’t know that I’m right either… but I need to know that you’ll listen to me when I need you to, before I have a heart attack. Just, even if it’s only for the pregnancy, please.”

“James, you’re my mate…” The ball of sorrow that wormed into Q’s chest at his alpha’s vulnerability was almost painful. “I trust you with my life… I never wanted you to feel,”

“I understand why you have to be so Blanca-damn strong, I’d just…” James drew back, eyes averted, causing Q to watch him curiously.

“What?” With a large fortifying breath the alpha met Q’s eyes.

“I’d be honoured if you could let yourself be less strong around me, let me carry some of the weight, even when you don’t need me to.” The words seeped in without the unpleasantness being accused of endangerment had.

That, Q could do. James deserved that, and so much more besides. The omega had never realised just how tough things had been for his mate for so long, felt like such a fool for not noticing the little things.

Instead of speak, the darker wolf slowly nosed forwards into James’ ruff and scented him. Quickly James returned the attention and the pair of them sorted through each other’s scents for a few bonding minutes as they calmed. Still, the accusation rang in his mind, and Q shied away from the thought of visiting their pack, who were going to want to greet their pregnant co-leader and fawn over him and after that he just couldn’t.

“Well, I’m not going to the main den.” His reply was still a bit testy, but a compromise from when he would previously let his feet decide an action before his brain caught up.

James, blue eyes clear and piercing, nodded a little, clearly feeling a little tentative in the face of Q’s guilt-induced irritability.

“Sorry, I’ve been inside too long and I just-“ Q huffed and looked out over the valley instead of at James. “Want to feel a little normal.” Better to blame that, than the twisting unpleasantness squirming inside him about the fact that James was right, he hadn’t thought about his pups at all. And James wasn’t wrong; Q had indeed spoken about how important the lives growing in him were.

Looking at him though Q was still refusing to meet his gaze, James softened his stance a little coaxingly.

“Alright.” Refusing to become spiteful again and see what James would ‘deign’ him to do, Q sniffed at the air until the crisp scents of winter had cooled him off slightly. James waiting patiently with him, not pushing him, though his pregnant mate was sitting petulantly in the snow and likely fraying the alpha’s nerves a little.

“We could… go for a walk?” Q suggested, not really wanting to do anything other than run off his emotions, but trying to compromise despite the frustration that fostered. The pack would just have to wait until Q, once again, sorted his life out a little bit.

“I’d like that.” James replied, graciously. Q nodded and gestured James to lead should he desire. Reading him only too well, James skirted a little around the omega and led the way without touching. Q didn’t think he could handle that right now.

He couldn’t help but feel a little deflated at just what James thought of him, of what had been said. After walking even only a little while, he found he didn’t really want to be out anymore.

 

-00Q00-

 

James wasn’t blind enough to not know there was something not right with Q. He also wasn’t naïve enough to not know why.

True to his words, Q had acquiesced to limited activity and had let James take the lead.

On the other hand, Q was clearly depressed. He sat in a miserable little fur ball in the den and whilst he didn’t refuse James’ attention, he certainly didn’t seek it. There was a certain prickly-ness to the way Q’s fur rested that warded off contact. James knew he was the cause, their little spat on the mountain hadn’t been exactly a delight, but James stood by what he’d said. Q, also, was hardly doing anything wrong by James’ standards, but it was as if his vibrant mate had muted himself. And after kicking up such a fuss about Q exercising, he felt like a fraud if he thought about suggesting Q leave the den.

They still hadn’t met their pack after giving them the news, and whilst Q didn’t need company all the time whilst in his fur, and therefore without any instructions no wolves came up to them, James didn’t need more than rudimentary tracking skills to see in the snow that Q didn’t leave the den more than to relieve himself even when James went to check on their pack.

Their closest pack mates were suspicious to a certain degree, but seeing James’ often brooding expression had so far kept their thoughts amongst each other.

The few days of Q being able to move around in his fur came and went in a near silence that could only be managed in wolf form, and then Q moved after eating one night to go sleep in their nest, turned into his skin with some shuddering and curled up into another, if more oblong, ball of stunted interaction.

James grimaced. They’d never fought like this. In fact he wasn’t even sure they were fighting, just that they certainly weren’t talking. He could, however, smell the discomfort of shifting on Q, and for the first time in a long time, felt unsure of his welcome around the younger man.

Still, he wasn’t about to push it if Q was in discomfort at the moment. But the knowledge that, no matter how good his intentions, he’d been the cause of Q effectively wasting the only chance at exercising and being outside that he was going to have for another three days sat badly in his stomach.

Q managed to fall into a dose only to be hampered by sickness during the early hours of the morning, waking James when he got up and began pacing around the den, wrapped in a robe.

“Nausea?” James questioned, protective instincts enough to overrule his worry about upsetting Q further. The omega nodded in a jerky motion.

“I think it’ll go away this time.” He added, pacing around and around the fire before drifting into the off-den that they were planning to make the whelping area. They’d already fitted another hide draping for keeping the area dark and secure for Q during labour and those first few weeks afterwards, but Q didn’t close it.

“Think you can eat?” James called gently, and received grimace of a noise.

“Don’t think we should push it.” James sat there for a moment, futility filling him, and then got up.

“I’ve got to organise a hunt today, who do you want with you?” James thought it polite to offer, rather than have the rabble choose for themselves. “Your minions?” He was hoping that the lively presence of Q’s co-conspirators might help cheer his mate up.

“Tanner. Or Lestrade.” Q replied after a moment of thought, sounding a little sick but not distressed. “Someone quiet so I can rest.” James frowned at that and stopped his gathering of a cup of water to walk over to the little spare den, leaning into it and appraising Q.

“But you love your minions.” He tried, cajoling, slipping further in when he saw that Q had folded himself into a small and uncomfortable looking shape. “I thought you’d like to talk about the bridge or-“

“Well I don’t.” Q snapped back a little, then sighed and waved a hand apologetically before pushing it through his hair. “Sorry. I’m tired.”

“No you’re not.” James countered, coming into the room fully and standing opposite Q with his arms crossed, knowing there was a height difference because of their opposing positions but needing the stability in the face of a Q that he didn’t know how to deal with. “You’re angry. I think at me.” Q looked up enough to shoot him a somewhat disparaging look.

“Not everything is about you James.” Still Q looked like he had held his tongue back from lashing out. “Maybe I just want to sleep off this bloody nausea.” The words became muffled as Q rubbed his hands over his face and then stood up swiftly. “Never mind, call the minions, it’ll be fine.” James stopped him from walking into the main den area with a hand on his arm and balked when Q turned and pulled away.

“Why don’t you want me to touch you?” James growled, confusion and strain of the last few days of silence turning to anger he couldn’t quite contain. Q’s lip started to sneer before the omega looked down and away, shaking his head.

“Don’t James.”

“No, this is important, it’s been going on for days. Is it because I nipped you? I’m sorry Q, and I can not do it again but I didn’t think I got you too painfully to warrant this.” James ranted, for the second time at his mate. Q rubbed his messy hair with a groan and turned to look at him miserably.

“It’s honestly got less to do with that than you think, although I admit I didn’t find it quite as easy to handle as I probably should have, given that I nip you all the time-“

“Q I don’t mind that. It doesn’t mean the same thing to me as you-“

“Yes but the point still stands and it shook me a little so no, I don’t really want you to touch me but more so because you think I’m going to _hurt_ our _pups_.” Q’s voice strained and broke on the last three words, turning to James with a distraught expression. “How long have you been thinking me capable of that? That I would-“

“No, Q, no, please…” James trailed off when Q wriggled out of the alpha’s attempt to reach out and comfort him. “That came out wrong in the moment. I know you’d never mean to, I know you’d never hurt something you can see, I’ve seen you with the pups in Six and the omega pack Q. I’d never think you’d harm one-“

“Then why did you have to Blanca-damn say it that way? It’s all I can think of!” Q shouted, eyes wide. “Just guilt and that I’ll lose them again but this time I’ll _know_ and it will be my _f-fault_.” Their argument died into a quiet and taut silence. James finally took a breath but Q beat him to speaking.

“It doesn’t matter I’m sure I’ll get over it.” The omega turned to leave almost before the alpha could speak.

“Q, no-“

“Go on your hunt James.” With that Q started to poke at the fire and setting water to boil. James winced his way out of the off set den and hovered behind Q in a way that he _knew_ was only making the man feel more trapped.

“I’m sorry Q. That wasn’t what I meant. I never meant for you to feel that way.”

“I know.” Q bit out shortly. “But I do.”

“Loosing the last ones, it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know that.”

“I only meant-“

“I know what you meant James.” Q turned to him finally, but the look, whilst it wasn’t angry, wasn’t forgiving. “That you don’t trust me with them on my own, at least as they are. And maybe you’re right not to. And I need some time to wrap my head around it, and I don’t want to talk about it again. Please.” Q turned away, and James felt wrung out and defeated.

“I-“

“James, I love you, and I don’t mean this unkindly, but even if the next words out of your mouth brought Lobo and Blanca down from the heavens I wouldn’t be ready to hear them. So let me be quiet and selfish a little longer alright?” Wincingly remembering throwing the word ‘selfish’ at Q, James sighed out.

“Alright. I’ll send up Tanner.”

“Thank you. Good luck out there.” James nodded and left and wondered what on earth he could do to fix this, if it wasn’t something Q needed to fix himself, as usual. James hadn’t realised quite how much Q had taken to heart the loss of their last pups that they hadn’t even known about. But then, Q had thought he might have lost more when he jumped over the mountain too didn’t he?

James knew he wasn’t wrong, Q needed to exercise caution, but by Lobo he wished they’d not had a row about it, he should have just talked to Q weeks ago. Now Q had only left the den for one short walk in nearly a week.

He fretted and over-thought and remained tense all through the hunt over the treacherous cliffs until a split-second rashness from one of the alpha adolescents and a hair’s breadth reaction too late had the younger alpha tumbling into him from up-cliff and, in his attempt to grab her, James lost his own footing for the first time in his life.

Tumbling, bashing and jolting down the cliff in the near whiteout of snow, James’ last thought was that Q would never forgive him now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never let it be said that these two are completely well adjusted.
> 
> Thank you very much for the comments and kudos, I love hearing your thoughts and hope to provide you with happier tidings next week!
> 
> P.S. I'm on holiday for a while now, so not quite sure of an exact upload date, but I have everything pre-prepared so shouldn't be a big wait.


	10. Unite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!  
> Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I decided to just sit back and enjoy my holiday, and it was wonderful and perfect. Normal performance will now be resumed, with next update somewhere around Friday-Sunday (it turns out the bi-weekly updates were too much for me to keep up with!)  
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

[](https://imgur.com/l5JEHZw)

 

Tanner made for good calm company.

Whatever James had said during their second spat in less than a week, Q was in fact tired, and had spent most of the morning eating slowly and then trying to sleep off the nausea to keep down desperately needed nutrients. He wouldn’t let a little sickness beat him.

He’d prove James _could_ trust him. _Time to grow up a little_ , Q thought, and shifted a little guiltily at the thought of his less than adult moping the last few days. Still, he hadn’t quite expected the dual onslaught of remembered violence and remembered loss, especially having them both come from James and in one shouting match.

Still, he was feeling a little more determined to prove himself now, a little more steady. Whatever Q himself had said this morning, James’ words had helped a little, even though the alpha _hadn’t_ said he trusted Q with their unborn pups, Q hadn’t given him much chance, but he’d give him reason to. _Just wai_. Q thought, determination of a prideful sort overriding his previous melancholy and snuggling deeper into the blankets. He perked up a bit of interest when he heard Tanner getting up and going outside, but decided to let the man either pee or talk to a returning James on his own. Q sat up after a few minutes went by without Tanner coming back or anyone else entering.

No sooner had he done so, than Tanner’s anxious wolf form was worming through the narrowing, joined by Lestrade.

“Greg?” Q questioned, frowning and voice sharp as his eyes looked around. Tanner was covered in snow from even the brief time outside and Lestrade was smothered in it, proving the weather was as violent as always this winter. Suspicion grabbed him when the two shared a look and Lestrade shifted into his skin.

“Q,” The look on the man’s face said it before the words could come out and Q felt his world hollow out. “There was an accident during the hunt. We can’t find James.”

“No.”

“He fell off the goat cliff and-“

“ _No_. No no no-“ Q was only blindly aware that he was standing, running for the entrance and snarling when held back. “Let me go! I have to find him, he’s not dead I’d know it he’s just hurt-“

“Q! Q the weather’s too dangerous, we can’t, I’m sorry we can’t.” Q forced himself to calm. To think rationally. It was far from easy. With his struggles slowing Lestrade and Tanner let him go and he backed off.

“The West side of the Cliff or the North?” He made himself ask, voice as steady as he could whilst his limbs shook and his eyes stayed shut to not look at their grief-stricken faces. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

“I’m sorry?”

“What side of the cliff was the hunt on? Who else was there? Is anyone else hurt?” Q snapped out, eyes opening and straightening his spine as he snapped his fingers. “Come on!” The shocked pair stumbled out of grief and into action as Q fought down panic clawing up his throat.

“The west side. Victoria fell down too, we can’t find her either, and Tariq was injured trying to go down to find them. His leg’s broken.” Q took a single deep breath at the information.

“If they fell off the West side there’s a chance they came to rest in the woods or the gorge rather than on the cliff itself.” Q turned to Tanner. “Whoever is able or willing, take a search party into the trees, Get Sherlock to go with you. That will cover everyone from the weather but if we don’t find them soon in this snow they’re done for. If we don’t act now they’re dead. Go.” Tanner nodded, overwhelmed, and ran out, Q could hear him howling.

“What about me?” Lestrade cautioned. Q looked him over and then gestured he sit by the fire.

“You’re exhausted you’re not going anywhere. And loathe though I am to admit it James would have my head if I stayed up here alone and you’re right in that I can’t leave.” Lestrade shot him a look full of sympathy, understanding and grief. Q ignored it. He couldn’t allow himself to even _think_ that James was dead. His mate had survived more than any sane wolf could, was stubborn as stone, and Q wouldn’t give up on him now.

 

-00Q00-

 

Q paced around the den and received periodic updates of the search. The snowstorm persisted and the search party was confined to the forest, where they found Victoria’s body, but not James. He had organised a couple of wolves to alternatingly patrol the safe areas near the cliffs and howl for James, but they got no response. Locked in by the weather and pregnancy, Q found himself feeling ill and constantly on the precipice of emotions.

John came to visit, along with Mycroft, both of them concerned about him as well as their fallen leader. Q accepted their worry but remained steadfast in his resolve that James would be fine. Just fine. They couldn’t leave it like they had. It would all be fine, James would come back and they would have pups together and it would all be fine.

In the moments where he let those thoughts run their course fully, his eyes would burn and he’d usher whatever visitors he had out to go and get news or food and rest. The only one who stayed with him was Lestrade. The alpha always made a point of sitting down whenever Q made others leave and honestly he didn’t think being alone right now was a good idea.

On the evening of the third day of fruitless searches and impossible conditions, a pack loosing hope, Q sent away a frustrated Sherlock and went to sit down in the mini-nest he’d crafted in the one of their currently purposeless side dens. He didn’t like sleeping in their nest without James, or in the same room as another alpha without his mate, no matter how much of a gentleman Greg was being.

After a while, Greg knocked cautiously on the stone beside the den.

“Q?” Belatedly, Q sniffed and wiped his face; realising he’d been crying and Greg must have smelt the tears.

“I’m fine.” He mumbled. Lestrade huffed and with some rustling noises padded over to Q in wolf form. Q always found alphas slightly less threatening in their fur, somewhat ironically given the teeth. The wolf came down and laid beside him, back turned to the omega and guarding the entrance slightly.

“You’re doing good Q.” He mumbled, quietly enough that the omega could ignore it.

“I need to shift tomorrow.” He muttered, admitting to the spiral of his thoughts from the evening. “I want to be able to go out and search. As much as I can… but last time it _hurt_ and I don’t have James-“ His voice choked off into a sob and Lestrade shifted his bulk a little closer, tail flicking out to land curled over the top of Q’s head in comfort. Slowly, Q ended up clutching it to him for the night.

Lestrade howled for John the next morning in case there were any problems with the shift. Q steadied his nerves and had the two of them wait in the main den whilst he shifted on his own. The pain was immediate and fierce and left him biting a yelp. John rushed in but there was no blood, just pain that ebbed over a few hours. Q bore it doggedly biting the furs beneath him. If he could make it through this day he could go out and join the search in as much as he dared. He _would_ find his James.

 

-00Q00-

 

There were only brief pockets of time where it was safe enough to cross the cliffs looking for the pack’s fallen leader. Q was surprised when he trotted out to the area, flanked by his new shadow in the form of Lestrade, that Mycroft was there manning the operation. He wasn’t climbing, but directed teams in and out as the weather shifted. The wolves were both eager to see Q and too busy to make a fuss. Everyone wanted to find James, but few people had much hope. Q paced up and down the line by the cliffs neurotically, not about to do wrong by James by risking their pups going out onto the cliffs, who said he couldn’t learn? But he had to be there, helping, as much as he could until the light faded.

Q stayed in the main den that night, all the wolves of the pack grouped together in the meeting cavern and curled up as one beast. Q didn’t sleep. He looked at the maps, looked for where James could have gone. They needed to check the gorge, but the cliff face also had the potential to have crevasses or even caves that James, if injured, might have crawled into to recover.

The next day he gathered his brothers, Lestrade, Tanner and the most athletic alphas he could and led them as far as he dared onto the cliffs. They spread out and Q howled, long and loud as he could and hoped, prayed that James would hear him, respond to him, even if he couldn’t respond to anyone else.

They only got an hour before the blizzard struck again and drove them off the cliffs.

“If he’s not in the cliff, then he has to be in the gorge. We can try there tomorrow, we’ll keep trying. We’ll find him.” Mycroft seemed the only one willing to brave the cold truth in front of Q as they traipsed through the storm back to the den.

“Q, he could be dead-“

“Then I’ll find his body!” Q snarled and stalked to sit amidst his Minions and the pups. The comforting bustle of small noses vying for affection and trying to chew his paws and tail helped him calm himself. He had one day left; then he’d have to shift again.

There was only so long he could get the pack to look in such bad weather. They needed to hunt too, and stay safe. The loss of Victoria had hit the other young alphas hard and Q didn’t need to fall apart in front of everyone. He made a point to go and talk to them that night, in as much as he could. More, he sat with them and listened.

James had always been better at talking.

 

-00Q00-

 

“I have a plan.” Sherlock’s long snout nosing him woke Q from amidst the tangle of their two young alpha females, and Lestrade. The older alpha woke with him, and together they followed Sherlock outside to where John was lurking.

“Sherlock what? No, no he can _not_ come! He’s pregnant!”

“He’s his mate John! If anyone can call him out or find him its Q.”

“Wait wait wait, where are we going and who’s saying Q should go where?” Greg cut in, frowning and confused.

“To the gorge, then up the cliffs. The problem is if we go _down_ them and the wind comes we have to give up the search, but if we’re travelling up we can drop down lower to safety, or hide.” Sherlock nattered on, ducking into the harness that John was reluctantly holding up for him before the other beta shifted and did the same.

“What- this is madness, no, come on-“ Lestrade’s protests met Sherlock’s defiant ears.

“Ironically between the lot of us my brother has done more travelling then most and always his best when inspired by James so lets save this debate for later, hmm and use our best weapon? He can hold his own.” Sherlock cast eyes over Q. “He’s not that pregnant.”

“He’s pregnant enough.” John defied, into his own backpack now and shaking his fur out, his eyes drifted over to meet Q’s.

“It’s James.” Q pointed out. “I was going to suggest the gorge today anyway, though Sherlock’s idea is better-“

“Naturally.”

“Quite. So lets go. I won’t do anything stupid.” Q promised, meeting John’s eyes as he said it, pretended he was meeting James’ arctic blue.

 

-00Q00-

 

The travel to the gorge wasn’t a difficult journey or particularly long, and the group of four wolves made good time. Q sniffed around and howled, partially to let the pack know where they were. He could tell Mycroft was livid over even this distance but didn’t have the time to worry. Lestrade stuck to him like a bur in fur and Q found his presence calming as the longer they searched they got no reply from James and Sherlock finally suggested they start to climb.

Q’s biggest fear was that James was encased somewhere on the cliffs. Smothered to death by rocks. And he knew how his mate would have hated that too. But there was no scent of James or blood in the gorge, so they started to ascend.

Sherlock wasn’t wrong; Q had travelled frequently and far, one and a half months of pregnancy didn’t make his muscles forget. In his wolf form, he barely felt pregnant, but let the others take the lead whilst he howled. And howled.

There was an increasing edge of desperation in his voice. They clambered halfway up the cliffs, lower still than where Victoria’s corpse had been found, which didn’t bode well for James, when finally, Q smelt him.

“James! I can smell him I can…” Casting his nose around, Q tried to pin point it as the wolves on the cliffs above him stopped and turned their noses around too.

“I think it’s to the North!” Lestrade shouted, the furthest in that direction. Q turned that way himself.

“You’re right.” He turned and trotted along a ledge. The North side of the cliff was scraped almost bare, nearly impossible for wolves to traverse across at some points. But the scent was undeniable. Q’s eyes scanned over the rocks and crags but he couldn’t see anything.

“There!” Sherlock shouted and bolted off around the cliffs, rangy body handling the tricky surface admirably though slipping enough stones free to make Q wince and John bark out in caution. “I have him! John, he’s alive! He’s alive!”

For an awful moment, Q thought he’d fainted in relief but righted himself in time to prevent toppling off the narrow ledge.

John was swearing and scrambling to get to where Sherlock was, Lestrade picking his own way carefully lower down, acting as a brace. Q just shifted weight antsily on his front paws and howled a long, desperate call for his mate.

“Keep calling him Q!” Sherlock shouted over, and Q dedicated his heart to the effort, especially as the skies began to darken with the threat of snow.

 

-00Q00-

 

James wasn’t sure he was meant to wake, and at first saw no reason to, it took him a long while to realise the ringing in his ears were the faint, far off cries of his mate.

_Q_.

Automatically the great, broken body of the wolf tried to rise and turn, only to fall back amidst the snow and rocks. His own personal prison.

The fall was fuzzy in his mind, though he remembered the hunt. He remembered staggering away from falling to his death too, in a whiteout storm and half out of his mind he’d foolishly gone the wrong way. He knew that now, because after days of fragile waking he’d come to recognise the North face of the goat cliffs. Q’s howls were faint, and James couldn’t quite get his chest to expand enough to howl, his faint whisper of his mate’s name barely making it past his lips before the wind carried it away.

It wasn’t the last time he heard it, though sometimes James thought he was going mad and others he thought it would be the last. His leg was broken though, one of the crucial back ones, he could have managed without a front to get off the mountain. Might have made it still, except that his ribs had suffered and his shoulder was wrenched on the left. James felt dried blood tacked over his head too but couldn’t be sure as to why.

The snow had cleared momentarily, and Q was howling, and James couldn’t move.

The next time he woke though, it was to a louder howl, nearer.

“Q.” The name rasped out of his throat and James tried to raise his head, managed just in a wobbly motion. Weak from dehydration and hunger the alpha was nearly at his limit with the pain from injuries. The skittering of stones near him nearly went unnoticed because Q’s voice had stopped, left, he was alone again. It couldn’t have been real.

“I have him!” Dazed glacier eyes turned to see a lanky black shape above him, shouting nonsense and skittering closer to him. One lip twitched up in a snarl. He may be down, but he wasn’t about to be cannibalised, he would take them down with him and-

That howl, there again. The one that sang straight to his soul and he’d know from anywhere.

“Q.” The moan sharpened his mind, and it was Sherlock above him, not some wraith or Lobo-damned wanderer.

“Keep calling him Q!”

Q was here? He was near-yes, that was his voice. James hefted up onto his front legs, groaning and hanging his heavy skull at the pain from his shoulder.

“James, thank Lobo you lucky son of a bitch-“

“Careful John, don’t get too close, he’s delirious.”

“He needs help-“

“I’ll snap your neck if you touch me.” James growled. Ears swivelling for Q, honed in, body lurching upright. “Where is he, Q-“ One brave step forward nearly sent him tumbling out of the safety of the rocks that hemmed him in and only a quick and firm scruffing by John stopped him.

“John-“

“Even I can take you in this state you great growly brute.” If James had had it in him, he would have laughed, John had dealt with more than his fair share of the alpha’s vitriolic mood swings.

“Q, I need,” A renewed, urgent howl from Q, calling him, pulling him in and James managed to weave to three legs. The fourth dragged hopelessly and the front left shook beneath his bulk. “I can’t see him.”

“He’s somewhere safe. He’s waiting for you. You have to get to him.” Sherlock encouraged. He didn’t need to, James could hear Q. There was another wolf, Lestrade? On the slope below them, looking up and mirroring their movements as John dragged him on. The narrow walkway made for a grim passage and his paws were starting to get dotted in the white flakes of falling snow, Sherlock had his teeth holding a rope-sling that the beta had somehow slung under his lower belly, helping to take the weight of his legs. None of it mattered, Q kept howling.

“We’re not going to make it back in this weather!” Lestrade’s voice marred the perfection of his mate’s ongoing song of encouragement, of _come here, waiting, come here_.

“We just have to get to the tree line, then we can rest.” John gritted out, voice muffled in James’ scruff.

“But Q, he’s due for skin isn’t he? We should send him back to bring us help.”

“No, Q,”

“Yes James, think about it you want him safe and we can’t get you much further like this.”

Sherlock took matters out of his hands by howling over to Q clever little words that the alpha knew his mate wouldn’t resist.

“Q to pack. Send help. Call us home to you.” There was a broken pause in Q’s singing and the other wolves lugged James onto pine needle covered ground and let him down. James fell where he stood, moaning for Q. Where was Q? Wasn’t he here? But Q howled back an affirmative to Sherlock and tacked on a come home to me to James that was agonising. The alpha passed out again as he managed a weak mockery of a howl that went to nowhere, barely managing to say Q’s name in it.

He wasn’t sure what time had passed until he was being jostled, warmer but colder at the same time. He was on a large sled, designed for supplies or medical emergencies, and the trees passed overhead in a grey mottled blur until he could hear that song again, his Q. James’ muzzle formed another weak warble of reply, surrounded by the scent of his pack, but needing the one scent of his mate.

-00Q00-

Mycroft had taken one look at Q when he skittered into the main den nearly screaming for assistance and put him on lockdown. In fact in a rather humiliating turn of events Mycroft sat his bulk down on Q’s tail as the pack gathered around and Q was forced to send out a rescue team to James’ area rather than attend himself. It was probably for the best, but it took Q a moment to calm down enough to realise it. James was _alive_ , thank Lobo, but Q had barely been able to see him through the falling snow, and what he had seen left his heart in his throat.

The wolves around them were hell-bent on rescuing their errant leader, and several wolves towing a large rescue-sled headed off into the trees after Q managed to relay crisp instructions.

It would be a challenging, though not dangerous journey, and Q was being fussed over rather than allowed to help. Still, he trusted Sherlock, John and Lestrade, even with his mate.

“James is going to need medical care, and I won’t be leaving him. I’ll have to be in skin soon too. Prepare one of the medical offset dens please.” Q instructed Mary, who nodded and hurried off to do her job. Q hadn’t been able to give them many ideas about James’ injuries except for the obvious broken back leg. His mate’s head had been bloody too and he’d been held up nearly entirely by the slighter forms of Sherlock and John. Q knew his howls had been serving a dual purpose, acting as a marker but also stimulating what little movement they could from James to manoeuvre him off the lethal cliff face. Q watched with his heart in his mouth and still couldn’t believe they’d managed it.

Now he had to wait, but he’d spend just that extra time in his fur so that he could hear better, sit warm and safe for their pups but at the front of the den to howl for the rescue party every now and then.

The pack pups bothered around him until they fell asleep and their parents took them to bed. Mycroft sat with him, or Tanner, and one of the cooking wolves brought them some rice. Actually most of the pack gravitated together to eat. Mindy and R sat with Q too, Monty and Maurice out on the rescue team, and the adolescent alphas stayed close to their pack leader in the time of upheaval. Mycroft and Tanner’s bulk beside him was reassuring, but not enough to sleep. He stared out into the snowy night and whenever he couldn’t help it anymore he called for James.

-00Q00-

James could tell they had gone inside from the change in air pressure and scent, but his ears mostly picked up on the surroundings due to a whine, scrabble, curse from an affronted sounding Mycroft and then Q’s lithe warmth was jolting against him on the sled. Long fingers buried deep into his fur and the alpha didn’t care about the pain from Q clutching his bruised skin too hard because his mate’s mere presence offered relief.

With a rumbled huff he turned his head to seek Q, and found the omega curling arms around his skull and cradling him till the wolf could sniff at the tender skin of his neck.

“Thank Lobo. James, don’t you dare do that to me again you great lump, Blanca fuck,” Q’s words were softened and nearly lost by their mutation into tears. The effect combined with the warmth and closeness of his mate rendered James immune to the feeling of being lifted and repositioned, twice, till he was laid to rest broken side up atop his omega. Q remained curled around him and clinging, the dampness of tears traipsing into James’ fur. On automatic the alpha licked his lips as if to catch them, but only met the dry skin of Q’s arm where the omega was wrapped around him like a protective veil.

Q. He was too weak to say it aloud, but fell into a restive state as Q’s clever fingers combed through his fur on his ruff.

 

-00Q00-

 

“I re-set his leg whilst he was out, but it will need more secure splinting. He’s lost a lot of body heat and is dehydrated. That left fore-leg will need ice and resting too, he’s pulled something badly but it wasn’t dislocated.”

“He’s cut his ear.” Q found himself saying, unable to keep from stroking soothingly at both his mate’s thick ruff of fur and the blood-soaked ear of previously cream fur, now missing it’s tip. His face was wet from crying but his fingers were steady now that James was in his arms again.

“Luckily his stubborn head seems unscathed.” John added, somewhat amazed. “See if you can get him to drink, only warm water mind.”

Q looked away from James just enough to accept Mary handing him a bowl of water and rested it by James’ head. It was a bit of a laborious effort to get his exhausted mate to drink. Q stroked along James’ muzzle and lips with a wet hand until the alpha was licking his lips slowly at the feeling, but couldn’t get him to drink from the bowl directly.

“You could choose to be more helpful.” Q muttered, but with too much affectionate disparagement in his tone to be harsh, as he managed to cup and hold water in his hand to James’ mouth and have the alpha deign that as suitable for drinking. “That’s my brave James.” He murmured, incurring a weak tail thump and the alpha nuzzling back into the crook of Q’s arm best he could.

“Hold his head Q, make sure he doesn’t bite me.” Obeying the rueful request from a tired looking John, Q curled himself around James’ large skull and mumbled everything and nothing into his ear whilst John, Mary and Roy set about strapping up the Alpha’s leg.

“You did so well, staying alive out there, coming back to me, you’ve been so strong, and if you ever scare me again I’m going to sit on you, no, gentle you great big puppy let them work,” James had began growling and flinching as if to turn and bite from the medics’ movements. As they tightened the bandages James’ adrenaline kicked in and he lurched his jaws around in a snap only to find Q’s arm swung between them rapidly. The medics glanced up worried. Alphas made for notoriously vitriolic patients with strength that was surprising given their injuries. Q met their eyes briefly, feeling the light pressure from James’ teeth but no pain, the alpha still growling warily.

“Keep going.” He instructed sharply before re-directing his focus to the alpha below him, with teeth around his arm, found himself unafraid. How could he ever be afraid of his James? “You can bite me if you like, but try not to take my arm off, there’s a good chap.” James’ growls turned into confused whining things and Q met his foggy eyes. “I trust you, it’s alright. I trust you.”

The soothing litany got them through the splinting and bandaging of both injured left legs, leaving James with tufted fur at the top and immobile limbs. Q just held James’ eyes throughout, arm in the alpha’s jaws until they were done.

“Its over, we’ll cover the both of you up and he can rest. Try to get him drinking more water.” Q met John’s eyes and the others’, nodded to them each in turn.

“Thank you for bringing him back to me. You three have been astounding, along with all his rescuers. The pack’s lucky to have you. Go get some food and rest, some dinner has been put aside for you.” A little flushed and a lot tired, the three medical betas trooped out after hauling some furs closer to Q, who switched his attention to James.

“They’re all gone now. I know it’s not our den, but it’s just you and me, and our pups. Think you can let go now?” James’ eyes relaxed fractionally, tension leaving them first and his jaws second. Exhausted from his final, if unnecessary fight, James’ head fell back into Q’s lap, panting. He took brief note of his arm having some red-purple bruise points to it from the pressure James couldn’t avoid putting on him, and covered them both up. He’d keep the arm elevated and it would be fine enough.

Q spent some more time getting fluid into James, and Tanner came in briefly enough to set James growling again and leave them some broth. The alpha showed more interest in that, but managed only a quarter of the bowl before nosing imperiously into Q’s belly and whuffing out a breath as if to say he was done. Q bent to kiss him on the head and finished the broth himself.

He couldn’t quite sleep, but felt relaxed, now, with James back with him. Deftly and with careful hands the omega cleaned the blood off James’ head, and brushed dust and debris from the fur he could reach before laying himself down and keeping his bitten arm up, the other curled over James’ furred cheek where the alpha’s head lay on his belly.


	11. Connect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> A bit late, but just about made it! I hope you enjoy.  
> Next update should be around next weekend. Also, I think there's about 16 give/take chapters total in this story? So we're heading towards the final third!

[](https://imgur.com/OUvvzhS)

 

True to form, it didn’t take James too long to perk up. Q spent about twelve hours alternating between resting and caring for his mate. James mostly just needed water, food and company for warmth, so it was far from taxing. The pack left them alone whilst James was so injured, though they were never far away; always an assortment of six or so people lurking just outside their tucked away corner of the medical hall. Q found it comforting where once it would have stifled him. But the sense that their pack wanted to be close, to protect them, left him feeling relieved.

MI6 was a loyal pack these days by nature, but you could never tell when signs of weakness from a leader were about to incur a fight for succession.

After those twelve hours of recuperating, James’ body temperature was back up to normal and he had rehydrated sufficiently to be properly awake rather than just rousing grumpily when Q went to feed him.

Q must have missed it, for all he was meant to be the one protecting his mate at the moment, he was still pregnant and tired and James was still unbelievably sneaky. He wasn’t surprised therefore, if a little mollified, to wake up to James nudging him with a damp nose. Rousing up to blue eyes, Q breathed out a sigh of relief so deep he could swear his bones nearly melted out from within him.

“James.” His hand brushed between soft, pale ears, one now shorter than the other by just a bit, and Q lost any sense of the questions he wanted to ask. “You scared me half to death.” He whispered. James swooped his ears back winningly and whined with an ingratiating tail thump, eyes wide and puppy-like. “You’re not getting away that easily,” but he couldn’t hide the laugh in his voice even as he fought to keep it off his face. James Bond did not wear innocent very convincingly. “Now, use your words, tell me how you are.” Grumbling a bit, the alpha wrinkled his nose and turned to nibble the bandages on his foreleg.

“No, none of that.” Q admonished, sitting up and taking James’ head in his hands, raising a brow. “It’s there for a reason. You fell off a mountain. You’re going to leave it alone and let it do its job, yes?”

“But it itches.” James replied petulantly. Q fought back another smile, this one mostly at the warmth of hearing his partner’s voice. He hadn’t been sure he would ever hear it again. The thought left his expression twisting back into a moment of grief, eyes burning.

“I don’t care. I don’t care just, just keep it on.” James was whining and trying to move closer to his face to lick away the tears but Q curled over him instead and just held him, not wanting the alpha to put his body through anything else. For a moment James tried to fight him, seemingly desperate to comfort his mate, but then just gave in to Q’s clinging and licked his bruised arm tenderly.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No. I barely feel it.” His voice muffled by James’ fur, Q sniffed and breathed in the calming scent of his mate for a moment, ignoring the lacings of pain and fatigue best he could. It was a long few minutes before James spoke again.

“I didn’t fall off a cliff.” Snorting at the affront in James’ tone Q leant back a little till he could see the man’s blue eyes again.

“Oh? What would you call it then?”

“Calculated vertical retreat.” The huff of laughter was soft, but the love Q felt for his incorrigible mate, even injured and in pain with amusement dancing in his bright blue eyes, was nothing short of stunning.

“Of course, silly me.”

-00Q00-

Recovery was boring, painful and laborious. James despised it all except for the fact that Q was mothering him. Something James found he rather enjoyed the novelty of. If he hammed it up a little at times, well, it’s not like Q was calling him out on it. In public anyway.

“If you fake another pain wave just to get out of stock meetings with Tanner and Mycroft I’m going to tell Sherlock you want to hear _all_ about his plans to disguise himself as a carcass to spy on other packs.”

Mildly horrified by the thought and impressed at Sherlock’s ingenuity both, James turned his best sorrowful eyes on Q.

“You wouldn’t.” Q’s green irises flashed over to him from where the omega was finishing some fine-tuning of a new set of lamps for the main den.

“No I wouldn’t. Blanca help me.” Q lamented quietly as James grinned and, with some pain, shuffled his way over to nose along Q’s thigh. The omega pushed at his cold nose with a chuckle and gave in to James’ awkward demands for an ear scratch. The alpha wasn’t allowed to shift into his skin for at least a week, and he was immobile and sore.

Q wasn’t much better, still food sick and tiring easily. When the omega shifted into his fur for the first time since James’ return, it was to a lot of pain and the pair of them both needing medical assistance. The pack enjoyed nosing around Q at times, but James struggled with even that. He had been relaxed with Q caring for him, but was reluctant to let another wolf so close when he was injured. He was even more reluctant to let alphas near Q when he couldn’t even stand to defend his mate.

The two made for a very sorry pair of wolves indeed, curled up together in medical. Word spread around the pack quickly that even the most familiar of alphas was banned from the mated pairs’ presence whilst Q was out with shifting pains. Once Q had recovered use of his limbs, James still grumbled at other wolves caring for him, even though Q was limited in being able to help without the use of his hands. Plus, the pack needed one of their leaders to be a presence once more.

James had to learn to cope with a little time away from Q, though he did so grumpily. The omega returned frequently enough to fret over his mate, nosing at him and licking James’ cut ear tenderly. The alpha languished in Q’s attention, and turned into a recalcitrant goblin with anyone else’s.

-00Q00-

Just over two weeks of living in the main den, Q thought he knew every wolf’s preference for lamps, pans and knives down to a committed memory. He’d applied himself to the task of repairing, remaking and forging what he could so that he would be closer to James for the duration of the alpha’s bed-bound recovery.

After a fortnight James was allowed to hobble in wolf form, and would be allowed to shift for the first time today if he sat still long enough for John to examine him. It was a good thing too; the alpha was getting all sorts of restless. He’d even let Q brush his fur out and trim his claws from where the alpha couldn’t keep them short with movement.

In a more pressing concern than James being a miserable patient, the pack was running low on food. The storms outside were howling louder than Q had thought possible and they’d lost nearly all contact with the Omega pack. The only saving grace was that the weather was starting to clear today.

Q had torn himself away from James’ side early in his fur and gone to prepare for his first long walk in a long feeling time. His spine itched to go back to James, who was even more reluctant for Q to go than the omega himself, but needs must in a pack.

The pack’s regular hunting grounds were empty of prey and derelict. With some discussion amongst the pack as a whole, they had put one of the only plans in place that they could: to go north beyond the omega pack and hunt for the bison that roamed nearly in Arctic wolf territory. If MI6 combined forces with the omega pack, who were currently isolated and possibly in much the same rationing situation, then they might have enough numbers to do well, but it was a risky hunt that would be long before it was fruitful.

The wolves that didn’t volunteer to go would remain and form foraging parties for whatever could be gained from the forest or small prey. James was unable to travel, and Q was unable to go on a lengthy hunt, but would accompany the hunting party to the Omega Pack and travel to and from when he could, acting as their pack leader-support.

It was a trek that Q had done many a time, but understandably James was far from keen to let Q out of his sight. Q was much the same, given that his mate could hardly _walk_ and was recalcitrant in anyone else’s care… But all going willingly, Q would be back tomorrow ready to turn into his skin the following day, finally able to feel James’ hands on him if the alpha was for once complying with doctor’s orders.

It was motivation enough, alongside the high hopes of his pack, which were going to start going hungry if no action was taken.

Having prepared his own travelling rations and pack, Q counted heads and packs of the wolves that would be joining him, and ventured back into the caves to see James for a last goodbye.

The alpha was grumbling at John as Q pushed past a drape on the door; something that was becoming increasingly popular to have in the smaller privacy dens.

“I don’t see why I should have to wait a full day.”

“Because you won’t stop-there you’re doing it again! Stop picking at the bandages.” John berated, busy checking the alpha’s flicking ear. Q padded over and nosed his way down and over and under any bits of James he could, effectively both trapping his mate from nibbling at bandages and burrowing into that powerful scent that he craved.

“I’ll miss you.”

“Then don’t go.” James grumped.

“We both know that isn’t an option.” Q forestalled further arguments from James by nuzzling him severely. The alpha grumbled and flung an awkward and stiff, but much improved, left foreleg over Q’s neck, and began licking away at his cream eye patches. The darker wolf thumped his tail lightly at the familiar attention, blinking damply at James when the alpha deemed him smelling appropriately of his mate. In turn, Q snuffled over each of James’ injuries, licked his ears and briefly mouthed his mate’s face.

The pair shared a moment of soft-mouthed play at each other’s faces before stilling and sharing long breaths, noses side by side.

“Stay safe. Get better.” Q murmured.

“Be careful. Come back.” James responded. With that, a nudge of his nose into James’ fur, a quick buff of head against John’s leg and a longer head-butt from James, the omega left reluctantly and collected himself enough to walk high-tailed and centred into his team of waiting wolves by the entrance.

Along with himself, there was Sherlock and Lestrade form his close pack, leaving Tanner and Mycroft behind with John and the majority of the other wolves. Several alphas familiar already with the Omega pack went along; Jo, Tariq, Tom and Molly, along with one of the younger female alphas; Gala. Mary went along too for medical support along with another female beta, Riza who was a keen hunter. The rest of the wolves would stay to forage in the forests and manage the pups and pack and territory.

“All set?”

“Everyone accounted for, the snow’s still falling but the wind is down. It’s now or never.” Lestrade offered. Q nodded and brushed against Sherlock who grumbled a bit but buffeted him back, shrugged into his pack and trotted out the den. It was ceremonious for a pack leader to start the journey, but after that Q gestured the sure-footed form of Jo and Sherlock ahead of him and they all petered naturally with a few shifts of weight and pace into a neat wolf-line that loped out over the packed down snow outside the den and into the powder beyond.

The further north towards the omega pack that they went, the firmer the crust on top of the snow became, packed down by icy winds. Q found he fared almost the same as the betas around him now with his slightly increased pregnancy weight, where otherwise he would have likely still skipped over the surface without cracking it to fall nearly shoulder-deep into the powder beneath wherever he hit a path not already troughed out by the wolf in front. He still fared a little better than the heavier-set alphas.

Deep snowdrifts combined with limited visibility made for a longer trek than normal. Instead of the 2-3 hours typical in good conditions, the journey took closer to seven. They were in howling distance and could at least herald their arrival by the time they’d gone five and a half hours, but it was getting dark and windier by the time they arrived at the sheltered pack area.

Some of the wolves here lived in huts rather than dens, and they were packed with snow high against the sides. There were some lights set swinging amber in the wind out to greet them, and as Q howled their final arrival, Ros’ white, perfectly camouflaged form poked up out of the snow from where it was curled neatly and invisible. Lucas appeared from one of the nearby huts wrapped up in furs but wearing his human form. Erik and Logan followed with Felix shutting the door behind them.

The wind was slightly lessened in the hollow where the pack resided, and Q slowed along with his wolves to a tired and slightly slumped stop.

“Lobo you’re all a sight for sore eyes, we didn’t think we’d see anyone else till spring.” Lucas greeted. Q could only nod in agreement and pant. His face was stiff with cold and his fur was frozen in places, steam from their collective breaths hung ghostly in the rapidly falling dark.

Q was exhausted. And starving. He’d powered through the trek but now at the end found himself reluctant to take another step .

“Maybe they shouldn’t have come, you all look half dead.” Ros commented sardonically, Jo butted her flank in fond rebuttal. A couple of the younger alphas went around to sniff and check out the scent trails of recent goings on.

“Charming, as ever.” Q quipped back, but licked at her hand and buffed his head against Lucas’ thigh, getting a chuckle and ear scratch.

“I assume you had good reason for coming?” Erik pressed as Logan pushed Sherlock’s insistent nose away in the background.

“It seemed very good seven hours ago.” Q commented dryly. “After that though, the best idea I can think of is a bed.” Shaking what he could of his fatigue off, Q looked back at the assorted wolves and put on a more leader-like demeanour. “We have an increasing food shortage. These wolves are going to hunt the bison fields, with your help if you’d like, and sharing the spoils in return. I have no idea how you all are for food, so we thought to check in now before it gets any worse this winter.” There were a few nods around him. Lestrade came over and sniffed at Q’s neck briefly.

“We’d only need to use here as a base camp if you don’t want to join, we brought rations to last a while.” He added.

“Not a bad idea brother, we could do with bulking up stores ourselves.” Felix, nodding as he spoke and getting the same agreement from the other alphas.

“Its settled then. Come on in, unless you’d like to sleep out here?” Ros smiled sweetly despite the sarcastic words. Q was about to state just how much that idea lacked in appeal before Lestrade spoke up, nudging further against Q.

“This one needs food and a rest. He’s got to trek back tomorrow and he’s in no condition to sleep outside.”

“Any sort of fur somewhere would be sufficient.” Q added, head a little ducked in supplication and ears back demurely. A few of the alphas around grinned or tilted their heads.

“So it is true.” Erik murmured with a grin and huffed something about ‘owing Charles a back rub’.

“You can stay with me and mine, brother. Severine will want you to anyway.” Felix offered kindly, gesturing the way.

“Will she have guests? I’m not leaving his side.” The steadfast and determined voice of Lestrade piped up, pausing Q’s grateful nod. Felix grimaced.

“Not from an alpha, no matter how upstanding you are.” The words were apologetic, even the tone was, but there was no give in the man’s resolve. Lestrade’s fur puffed up in preparation to defend his position as defender of his pregnant leader. Sensing some fraught tension, the other alphas and even betas he had travelled with starting to almost subconsciously circle or lower into ready stances at any even vague threat to one of their owns’ wellbeing, Q shook himself off pointedly and stood.

“How about a beta? Severine’s met my brother. If not, I can stay anywhere.” Felix’s eyes narrowed in a doubtful frown at even this compromise and Q nudged at his hand. “It’s fine Felix, I understand. I’ll visit her before leaving anyway. Does the same go for all your dens? Even if so, there’s no hard feelings, we’ve hardly left you time to prepare.” Q said the last words clearly and pointedly, calming his pack into shaking off the tension themselves and instead realising their tiredness.

“Anyone who wants can den up in the main hut with me. It’s crowded mind and not the most luxurious.” Lucas offered. Q gave a tick-tock wag of his tail in response.

“Perfect. Thank you.” His fellow travellers gave similar responses and the bunch of them followed Q following Lucas into where the man had exited from earlier. The other alphas sloped back to their respective dens from where they must have been waiting for the travelling party. All save for Ros, who resumed her sentry position in the snow, blending in seamlessly against the white.

 

-00Q00-

The night inside the small hut had been an odd one for Q. He’d been tired enough to sleep but uncomfortable without James and in a group of alphas. True, the last few weeks in the main den with the pack had gone a long way to cement them as safe, but that did nothing to stop the occasional paws in his face or disturbance from when another wolf began running in their sleep. Q spent the night squashed between Lestrade and Sherlock. Well, mostly Sherlock seemed to be using him as a pillow, given that Q woke to his face nearly smothered in the other wolf’s neck ruff.

Either way, the night was a little restless, and the strain of the previous day’s travel rapidly made itself apparent in the morning when Q was stiff and slow to move. As the others around him shook themselves up and off, Q curled back into a ball, tail over his nose, and tried to ignore the aches of his limbs on the cold floor of the hut for another few minutes until even he couldn’t any longer. Reluctantly, the omega grumbled to his feet and padded to nose petulantly against Sherlock’s side, whining a huff.

“Oh do stop complaining.” Regardless of the grump, Sherlock sat to allow Q to nuzzle against him.

“I’ll go grab some rations for the pair of you.” Lestrade kindly offered, trotting out with the other wolves save for Mary, who came to bustle around Q a little. Sherlock grumbled a little but otherwise held still for a minute longer than Q thought he would before the beta wriggled free and began nipping demandingly at Q for wakefulness.

“He needs to rest. If the journey wouldn’t take so many hours I’d say leave later on, but you’ll never make it back like this.” Q looked up at Mary’s words, ears going back in dismay.

“But I need to get back, James-“

“Is a big boy who can last another day without you, especially if it means you travelling like this.” Mary rebuffed firmly, and Q backed down as graciously as he could.

“Alright. I bow to your superior knowledge, Sherlock-“

“Does this mean we can’t go hunt?” The words were almost lost for the disappointed groan, “I need to see the bison, Q, it’s imperative. Theirs’ may be the only carcasses large enough to conceal enough wolves to stage an ambush-“

“Far be it from me to stop you. I’ll just need one wolf to travel back with me, or a pair from the omega pack willing to make the distance and back, and you ought to talk Lestrade out of it being him, he’s the most experienced hunter out there and you’ll need him.”

“Yes, I’ll talk to him.” Sherlock nodded, eyes somewhat already alight with the fever of the hunt. Mary rolled her eyes a little.

“These boys.” Q hummed and then chivvied the medic out as well, following to go bid his pack a safe hunt and find a willing volunteer to escort him back, rather than be impetuous and attempt the journey alone.

Some food was actually put out for them, courtesy of their hosts. The omega pack was holding its own through the winter mainly on fish that still lived in their slightly lower mountain lakes and the birds that rested there on migration, or even the cave-dwelling bats. Being lower down had let them coax the land into bearing food for them – a trick James had been astounded and suspicious of initially, but the omega pack were full of a clever, eclectic lot who between them had astounding knowledge and drive to attempt something termed ‘cultivating’ and they had set aside areas during the spring to grow what vegetables would survive so high up.

The wolves from MI6 were joined by a fair few of the ones from the omega pack. In this weather trespassers on territory were barely a threat, and most of the able-bodied wolves were joining in with the hunt to double the chances of success.

Q couldn’t help giving both Sherlock and Lestrade an extra long nuzzle and check of equipment each.

“Be careful. Come back safe.” Sherlock huffed but buffeted against him in passing reassurance, Lestrade promised his safe return and that of Sherlock’s “If I have to drag him away kicking and screaming” had been the exact words. Q rather expected that even bison couldn’t keep Sherlock away from John anyway, so didn’t push the point, instead giving both of them a fond ear lick in farewell before nosing goodbye to the rest of the pack.

Only Eric remained of the omega pack alphas, refusing to leave his mate’s side in winter when the pack was undefended. He stood cross-armed watching them all leave, the only one in his skin amidst a pack of fur. Felix looked a little reluctant to leave Severine, but confided in Q “She’s more than capable of defending herself and our son without me, doesn’t stop me worrying mind but I know she’s capable.” Q didn’t doubt it.

The omega pack truly was left mostly with omegas, save for Erik, a handful of young betas and alpha pups, Ros and Lukas. The two old MI5 wolves were more than happy and capable of supporting Q on the trek back the next day, once the omega had rested up. Q watched them all go and howled out a farewell.

Most of the other omegas remained in their dens or huts, away from the less known alphas, but they took up the song alongside him till their family members were long gone through the falling snow.

“Come on.” A casual hand skimmed in a ruffle over Q’s ears and he shivered around to see Erik gesturing with his head. “You can kip with me and mine if you like. Ros and Lukas can stay near too if you’d prefer.” The man began walking backwards as he said it, clearly doing his best to be relaxed.

“Thank you, I’d appreciate that. I’ll do the rounds first.” The man nodded with a smile Q couldn’t quite read but detected no danger from. It was Q’s best option, and he felt safe enough, knowing he’d be with Ros, Lukas, a bunch of six growing pups and Charles. Charles mainly. Trust Ros and Lukas though Q did without a doubt, the other omega was the only one he’d ever seen halt Erik.

For now though, he had Severine and Bram to see, and Boothroyd, the other families… But none of them would let Ros and Lukas stay too and guard him overnight, and Q knew his mate would feel better knowing Q had taken the care to have members of his own pack guarding him rather than another pack’s alpha, even one from the omega pack.

Sighing out a huff to himself and dancing briefly on his front paws, Q looked around the so strangely quiet omega pack land and wondered just where to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week's picture, for those wondering, has Ros in the foreground, and then Lestrade (left) and Sherlock (right) bracketing Q.


	12. Howl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe I promise I'll stop torturing them now...  
> Next chapter around next weekend!  
> Hope you enjoy.

[](https://imgur.com/0hMGrUT)

 

It hadn’t taken long for James to give medical the slip once Q had left his side. The alpha saw little point in lazing around without anyone to entertain him, and he’d been given the all clear by John to shift and hobble around on a pair of crutches. James took full advantage, his left leg splinted in a clever enough way that he could swap between forms at will. His wrenched shoulder didn’t fully approve of the movement but he could handle the minor discomfort for the sake of his freedom. Seeing Mycroft’s exasperated face had been a pleasing side effect.

“Oh really James, must you be so infantile?”

“I thought I was trying to lead a pack actually, given I’ve been locked away-“

“For your own good.” 

“-Without a soul to keep me company. When is Q due back?” Mycroft rolled his eyes and seemingly gave up on the argument, beckoning James to follow him instead.

“They barely left two hours ago, he won’t be back till tomorrow. As long as you’re upright you can come and help me wrestle Q’s minions into focusing their efforts rather than continuing to build fanciful ideas to cross mountains.”

Smiling a little fondly at the barely controlled genius of the forging wolves, James followed along benignly and tried to quell his gut feeling of things being amiss.

 

-00Q00-

 

Severine and Boothroyd both had been loathe to let Q go, clinging to his company a little in a way that was endearing and reciprocated in Q himself. But with only a limited amount of time anyway and needing to get a good night’s rest in order to make the trek back tomorrow, Q had only had time to fuss over the pair of them minutely.

Whilst there was nothing technological that he could do for Boothroyd; the man was far too ingenious on his own to need Q’s help in that area, he had made sure that the older omega had as good a meal as Q could nose him into making without his own hands to do the job, and sufficient rations to last him about two weeks. Boothroyd was something of a hermit, and with Kincaid gone on the hunt and the severity of winter; Q couldn’t help fret a little. He’d speak to Charles about it; the other omega would know what to do and be kind enough to act upon it.

As for Severine, she was amply stocked with food to not have to go outside or make contact with anyone should she so choose, though she was sounding positively gleeful about there being so few alphas around, but between her and Felix they had let their equipment fall into disrepair. Q fixed up a couple of lamps he had gifted them with some time ago, little Bram cooing over them when they were again functional, and ensured that their knives were honed and the fire pit in the den was likely to be safe for the winter. He was a little limited, trapped in his paws as he was, but replaced what he couldn’t fix with the supplies he’d brought in his own travelling pack and Severine’s assistance.

In return Q had been petted at and fawned over and assured many times that his fur was looking luscious and his figure good. Q was a little bemused by it but touched all the same.

He made cursory rounds to the other families he was less close to, just to touch base, and by the time he was done he was feeling a little overwhelmed from all the socialising and ready for a kip. With the sky dark and gentle snow still falling, it seemed that the world agreed with his estimation that it was time to bed down.

Either Ros or Lukas had kept a distant eye on him throughout his travels between the dens, and now sidled up to him and bracketed him on the short little trek to Charles and Erik’s den. It was something of a half-cave half-house, with some wooden flooring down that covered the entirety, and blankets, furs and cushion piles littered amply around the space. Q hadn’t seen a cushion since his old home with Mycroft in the old pack, and a spent a moment enjoying nudging it with his nose before straightening.

In the middle of the den was a dugout area surrounded by comfort, and filled with a table, a raised fire area behind that where the family must cook. Overall, it was a very different and very homey effect compared to Q’s own den with his mate, which was much more in the style of dens of old.

The three of them were made welcome and surrounded by curious children who were bored since they couldn’t go outside in the miserable weather. Charles corralled them as best he could, Erik mostly looking like he was enjoying watching the mayhem his progeny could create.

It wasn’t a quiet night, but towards the end Charles lay Q over his lap and gave a truly spectacular message that relaxed muscles he didn’t even know were tensed, and the omega fell asleep soon surrounded by a pile of puppies.

 

-00Q00-

 

James was about to lose his mind. Q hadn’t made it back the day before, there’d been no word either. For all James knew, the group hadn’t even made it to the omega pack in the first place.

The pack could read the tension all over him, felt it too. There was a rota of wolves put outside to howl and listen for news as a storm started to close in with all the sudden ferocity of winter in the mountains. James’ leg wouldn’t put up with travelling or he’d have been hard pressed to be kept behind, but even he knew that neither Q nor the pack needed him wandering off into the snow.

Mycroft was even slightly less controlled than usual, harrying about the entrance to the main den and the wolves on howling duty.

“He’ll come back. He always does, just like you came back to him.” James tried to take John’s words verbatim, but he knew only too well the dangers of living in these pack lands. He at least knew that Q was tougher than he looked.

 

-00Q00-

 

Two, even three hours ago, everything had been fine. Charles had hugged Q, Erik had walked him, Lukas and Ros to the edge of the territory, and the three of them had trekked back towards MI6 under clear skies. Already the snow had been thick enough to make the going slow, but none of the three of them had anticipated the swift onset of the storm. A cloud in the distance took less than half an hour to turn into a howling tempest.

They barely had time to reliably orient themselves towards their home pack before the storm became a white out.

For once, Q didn’t actually think he had travelled in worse and hunkered down, following the dark shape of Lukas in front of him as best he could, hearing Ros swear behind him. The light lowered along with the temperature and Q’s fur was icing into clumps wherever it was wet, his whiskers stiff and eyes stinging in the cold when even when he squinted.

“This is going to get worse!” Lukas’ words whipped past him with the wind and he caught the sense of Ros shouting back but couldn’t quite hear it.

“We’re hours away! They’ll never hear us if we howl!” Q shouted, but barely heard himself as the wind thundered and shrieked. Q was pushed off his long legs and felt the bulk of the wolf behind him trip over and go down over him, tumbling. Q flung out his teeth to grab her back leg lest she got lost and by the time they’d re-oriented Lucas was barely visible.

“Get up. Come on.” Q caught the sentiment from Ros more than the words and he hurried to his paws. They leant against each other to stagger on, both of them shouting at the other wolf but unable to catch up to him before they saw his vague form disappear.

Their near-swimming gait through the snow turned desperate and luckily found Lukas struggling to get out of a crevasse rather than encased in it forever. Q flashed his eyes over to Ros as they both grabbed with their teeth at the alpha male’s ruff to help drag him out. With Ros’ stark white fur, it looked as if Lukas was being eaten by the very storm itself. Shuddering, they collected themselves and aimed to hunker down away from the danger area only to hit a concealed slope and start to slip and slide hopelessly down the powder and ice.

Q yelped, unable to hear or see the other two as his vision was obscured by snow and his feet failed to find purchase, rolling till he finally came to a stop amongst a drift of snow.

Disorientated, he lay there and panted rapidly for breath.

The mountain was beating them soundly. Maybe already had, he caught enough breath to shout, almost scream for the others, but found the snow and words blown back into his face.

_Not like this. Lobo I won’t go down like this. Blanca give me strength_. He thought of the lives nestled inside him, warm and growing and just a little bit perfect already, and of James. His James.

“Lukas! Ros!” Q howled, tricking himself into hearing replies. Unable to know for sure whether it was wolves or the wind or anything, and smothered in the snow so deep he could barely get out, Q continued to howl. He wriggled, rather than thrashed in his chilling grave, knowing the snow held more power than he did, and squirmed free enough to be battered by the winds back down where he belonged.

If he couldn’t fight it, he’d endure it.

Q was good at enduring. So he stayed down and howled long and loud as he could the long, lost wolf cry for ‘help’.

Q howled till there was the slightest lowering in the pressure of the storm and he could hear Ros’s voice finally.

“Can you move?” He shouted, voice hoarse from the cold.

“I’m with Lukas! We’ll come to you!” That was just as well, because Q was buried pretty soundly. He howled them towards his position and found the pair of them supporting each other, white fur pressed to black.

“Are you two hurt?”

“Disorientated. You?” Lukas replied, scrabbling in the snow to dig out the omega as Ros scanned around in the snow and wind for their direction.

“Fine.” The snow had insulated him save for his face, against the worst.

“Carrying on going down is our best bet, the closer we get they’ll be able to hear us, or find us, we can survive a night out here if they can find us in the morning if the snow clears.” Q grimaced at the amount of ‘ifs’ as he pulled himself free and stumbled into Lukas as his folded legs shook after their period of disuse.

Still, she wasn’t wrong.

“Keep touching each other, we’ll be better off lost together than separately. At his suggestion he trotted around Lukas and gently grabbed the wolf’s tail between his jaws, waving his own towards Ros.

“We’ll swap around who’s at the front.” She added, took Q’s tail, the gentle pressure grounding as wind ripped at his ice-ridden fur. The sensation was like having his hair pulled, and they set off down-slope as the storm began to wail again.

They swapped often who walked in front bearing the brunt of the storm. Q could tell the alphas took more shifts than he did, but with how tired his paws felt and narrow-minded his focus was, Q didn’t have the strength to waste on fighting them. Everything darkened until even the white of the snow was lost to the night’s whims. The day wouldn’t have been so bad with landmarks, but the whole mountain was the same uncanny sheen of white-grey. Without even that light however, and the temperature descending to the point where Q didn’t even feel cold anymore, he knew they were in trouble.

Overly fatigued and blind, another slope got the better of their paws and sent the three of them tumbling and tugging at each other’s tails.

“We, we’ve got to be close.” Q managed as he panted and felt Lukas and Ros shifting around him to just huddle, now, they were all utterly spent. Barely able to curl his paws in for protection, feeling the press of the others but no real warmth from them, Q gathered enough breath to howl, muzzle nearly smothered by the snow and ears ringing with the sound of the wind still hurtling around them.

 

-00Q00-

 

“I hear them I hear them!” Aki bellowed the words into the den and James, waiting in an impatient, tense crouch like a dreadful vengeance, lurched into action.

“John, Tanner, go with him, Maurice too.” James himself was moving forward from where the whole pack, pups included, had been curled together in the main hall, unable to separate themselves with a sense of tragedy so near. Mycroft blocked him bodily.

“Not with your leg. Not now.” James growled, showing his teeth in no weak threat. Mycroft’s raised eyebrow, one of the few of the pack lurking in his skin, quelled none of his gut wrenching need to get to his mate. His leg supported him well enough, and he moved out into the very entrance without doubt or dread.

The other four hadn’t waited for him, but James limped his way behind them rapidly and barely felt the ache, the others had cleared the snow well enough and had the orange glow of Q’s lanterns leading the way. Now that he was outside, he could hear it; Q’s haunting howl moaning low above the storm. Aki had been lucky to hear it amidst the wind’s screams.

It didn’t take them much over half an hour to reach a near-buried pile of three wolves. Their snow on their fur was frozen into stiff clumps of white so much that initially they were lent a lethal camouflage that made it hard to find them. Impossible to tell whom they were by sight until nearly on top of them.

“Dig them out!” James shouted from a few paces behind where the other wolves paused to drop the lanterns. Q’s nose was just visible around Tanner’s bulk as he came close, still wavering out a pathetic, hoarse howl despite his eyes being frozen shut and face half smothered in powder.

“We’ve got you, it’s alright.”

“Save your strength Q.” Tanner was trying to comfort, and John was trying to hush, darting between three bodies as Aki and Maurice dug out the unconscious forms of what, up close, he could identify as Lukas and Ros. Q just kept howling and James cursed his leg, dragging himself close until he could lay almost over his mate, nose whispering into Q’s ear and ruff covering the omega’s exposed face.

“It’s me. I’ve got you. You’re safe gorgeous.” Q’s warbles drifted loosely into James’ name-howl before the omega wilted a bit beneath him, breathing slow and laboured.

“James?” the whispered plea was almost silent but the alpha heard it.

“It’s me. I’m here. Dig them out, quick.” He encouraged the others, who had paused seemingly in relief. Ros and Lukas were only showing the same stunted consciousness as Q, maybe less.

“Can you walk? Answer me.” Q shifted clumsily and awkwardly, unable to open his eyes but able to get some movement into his body. But it was something. James glanced at the others rapidly.

“Hurry and get them back, get them warm. Send someone back.” Aki grabbed at Ros’ scruff and Tanner led him with one of the lanterns whilst John did the same for Maurice hauling Lukas.

“We’ll send back help.” John assured him.

“We’ll make a start.” James turned to his downed mate and nudged Q into rolling on top of his frozen paws. “Come on, just a little bit longer for me.”

“James.” Q’s nose muffled the word into the snow where it pressed, as if the omega needed a fifth point of stability to help his reluctant legs.

“Just me and you, Q. Just what I always wanted.” He jested, alleviating the mood best he could as Q dragged and wavered into a somewhat standing position.

“Not just us.” The slurred murmur occurred just as Q slumped, body now barely standing and weight rocked against James leaving him wincing with his leg taking the strain. Beneath the snow-coated fur, Bond could feel the slight swell of their pups inside Q.

“No, not just us. Come on. With me now.” His encouraging shifting left Q groaning, but they slowly managed some steps. James alternated between holding one of the two left-behind lanterns and occasionally grabbing Q’s scruff when the omega tipped face-first towards the snow. There was little he could do other than wait for Q to re-gain motivation and equilibrium when Q’s rump would sink to the ground, but reliably the omega would.

He kept silent and sentinel through the most part, until Q’s exhaustion brought him completely to the ground on buckling legs.

“Come on. Come on…” But Q had nothing left to give and James abandoned the lantern to start dragging Q step by painful step back to the main den by his frozen scruff. Normally it would have been as easy as night following day, but with his leg and the snow and darkness, James’ muscles were shaking by the time he felt another living presence rushing to them.

“For Lobo’s sake you two.”

Mycroft’s impatient tone preceded him thrusting a lantern roughly into James’ mouth and taking over the task of grabbing Q’s neck and dragging him on.

Q was going to have some terrible bruises and aches come morning, but he would be safe. The determination in James’ soul and Mycroft’s eyes spoke of little else and they hauled the slighter wolf back through the dark and the snow to the welcoming arms of their pack.

There were three distinct clumps of wolves in the main den and one of them parted like a cloud from the sun as a panting Mycroft was led into the den by a limping James.

“Quickly, get him into the middle, everyone get him warm.” James could see that the other two groups of four or so wolves on blankets were swamping Lucas and Ros respectively, and hurriedly found himself, Mycroft and Q surrounded by three other full-grown wolves. John started what it looked like he’d already done to the other two, removing the frozen snow from Q and packing water skins of hot water from the blazing fire up against him.

Positioning himself so that he was wrapped around Q’s vulnerable belly and head, James turned his attention to gently lathing his mate’s frozen-shut eyes. His tongue was able to clear away the clumps of ice and warm, massage the tensed brows with far more delicacy than even the finest cloth in a doctor’s hands. Soon Q was resting slackly save for shivers gracing his frame, though James only caught a small sliver of dazed grey-green eyes slanting open before the omega fell into an exhausted sleep.

To James it felt almost blissfully hot amidst the clump of wolves and furs beside the fire, but he knew for Q it would be much slower going. The omega, along with his fellow adventurers, remained dipping in and out of unreliable consciousness for the course of the night. Q wasn’t really awake truly enough to be at all coherent, mumbling about James or being cold before drifting off again.

James savoured every word.


	13. Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is late! Here's a long chapter to make up for it. I'll try and fall back into a good routine, I just have an odd work rota that makes things tricky at times. Please bear with me!

[](https://imgur.com/Vy8s8Pj)

 

“I can’t believe you found us.” Q rasped out between painful breaths and a nasty cough from what the cold and constant howling had done to his throat. James kept the omega snugly held against him whilst John tutted over the state of James’ leg. The alpha had set himself back a bit in the rescue of his mate.

“You’d nearly made it back.”

“Still, than-“ Q’s words dissolved into hacking and James growled, nudging the omega’s shaking hands curled around a bowl of soothing brew closer to the man’s lips. Q took the hint and drank slow sips. Aki’s head swung over Q’s feet where the alpha was pressed close to his leader’s toes, blanketing them in warmth. James met his eyes as the other wolf huffed.

“Aki’s right, stop talking.” Q managed a huff of his own, though it was amused. One of his hands reached down to tickle the tummy of little Blitz the pup who was play-tugging on the fur on the floor and quickly swapped to mouthing the omega’s fingers.

James found his hand curving to stroke over the rather increased bulge that had started shaping Q’s middle. Their litter was healthy and strong, from what they could tell, and even now James could feel the faint movements of his growing kin. Those puppies had been the warmest things on that mountain yesterday, safely protected inside his mate’s belly.

John had proclaimed the three travellers uninjured except for the hypothermia they had cheated death from. All three sported some daunting bruising on the necks from being dragged rather unceremoniously across the snow, and were sore of throats and lungs.

From experience, James knew that achieving complete warmth again might take quite a while, but the pack was more than keen for the excuse to pile around each other and share food and stories.

Q tired easily for the first few days, and by then the storm had cleared enough that they could even howl word to the omega pack and receive news that the hunting party over that way was whole and healthy.

James managed most of the pack business whilst he and Q sat in a nest of clambering children and a mixture of the adult wolves in the pack. Ros and Lukas were bored and fidgety though John refused to let them leave until they had a clean bill of health. Q was better at keeping himself occupied when awake, tinkering, as he was wont to do or teaching and playing with the pups. His minions wove around him like a second skin sometimes.

James’ leg was sore enough that, when matched with Q, he had enough incentive to stay put and play nice with the medical wolves. Given Q’s somewhat out of sync sleeping cycle, the two found themselves the only two wolves of the pile awake one night.

Mycroft was in his fur, oddly enough, and smothering enough of Q that the omega’s hand brushed against his ruff where it rested idly on his belly. Q was tracing out absent shapes on his abdomen and gazing down whilst James’ hand joined him.

The alpha’s head was resting on Q’s shoulder, back warmed by John and Tanner.

“How many do you think are in there?” Q tilted his head a little, resting it against James’ short spikes.

“I’ve been trying to count when they move.” He tapped his thumb in a few places. “There’s some distinct movement all around these spots, and one of them seems constantly up near my guts, which is just lovely of course.” James chuckled at his mate’s irked voice. “Still this is nothing compared to what will come I suppose. But either way, that’s about four distinct areas, and John said more than five, so…” Q sort of shrugged. James’ hand rubbed over what, to him, felt like a smooth curve of occasional fluctuations.

“I hope we get to meet them all.” He felt Q press lips to his hair.

“We will.” James didn’t reply with his own doubts, that both he and Q, no matter what he usually said of only Q’s recklessness, had been lucky to survive this far into the winter with what they’d suffered through. Q hadn’t had any more bleeding, but there were rations of food to consider too. And warmth.

“I know we will.” Q muttered again, so wonderfully stubborn, as the omega’s tone slurred into sleep and his hand went lax where it rested protectively over his belly. James shifted, careful not to disturb his slumbering mate, and kissed over that swollen skin tenderly before leaning back to press another onto Q’s cool feeling forehead.

He settled down into the pile of warm bodies around them, leaning once more on Q, and let the heat seep in and drive away what it could of his worries. They’d made it so far. Q was nearly 3 months pregnant; he had just over two to go, ideally. They didn’t have much longer, and winter would start to ease up after the birth hopefully.

Maybe he could allow himself to hope, with Q curled safe against him, warm in the safety of the dark.

 

-00Q00-

 

Despite having done the shift several times, Q still dreaded the return to his fur after three days of skin.

His babies, when they rested within him in their skin form, were a large lot. Even only just over half way through his pregnancy, Q felt uncomfortable with the lot of them growing away inside him and beginning to shift around where they were neatly stuffed against each other and his organs. When he shifted into his fur, their bodies were just larger than his wolf form could tolerate pleasantly.

Although the pups’ shifting time was noticeably, gradually, decreasing as their cells grew more familiar with the idea, their size kept growing in between each shift.

James’ leg was still in no shape to take up the task of caring for Q solely, and the two remained in the main den until the alpha had a clean bill of health. Q was aware that the moment he got back to their den, he was unlikely to want to leave it again. As it was when it came time for him to shift Q found himself slipping away from the other wolves and pacing around uncomfortably in his skin, putting off the inevitable until he managed to find a nice darkened area to hide himself away in.

He wasn’t worried about James being unable to find him, the alpha was in fact mere paces behind Q when the omega finally found a suitable space and began to crawl inside in his skin.

“Q? What are you doing there?”

“I didn’t want to shift in the main hall.” He complained, tucking himself with a little difficulty into the hollowed out area off from one of the hot pools that held cloths to dry off from after the baths. The steam in the air was warm and the darkness peaceful.

“And our previous pile of comfortable bedding was sub-par to this hovel because…”

“This is quiet, and dark. I like it.” Q frowned where he was curling to sit and poked his head out at James, furrowing his brow. “Too bizarre?” James’ eyebrows were very politely lowered from incredulity.

“Not if it makes you comfortable.” Q didn’t miss the little disdainful glance at the poorly maintained surroundings.

“Just while I shift.” Q stuck his head back out from where he’d gone back to kicking the meagre cloths around. “You’ll stay, won’t you?” James strode close enough to pull his face into a rough press of lips that shivered through the omega’s skin and spine.

“You know I will.” Flashing James a grin that turned into a grimace, the omega shivered for a less pleasant reason.

“Alright. Here I go.” Closing his eyes to the inevitable Q let himself shudder into his fur and snarl-yelped at the pressure and pain inside him, pressing against both skin and innards. James’ hand found his head and stroked between flattened back ears as Q panted and whimpered through the pain. It made him hot and cold at the same time, twitching impotently and unable to help a growl if James’ hand slipped anywhere near his stomach. The alpha took it with grace and smoothed his thumbs along Q’s nose and between his eyes instead, massaging his skull in a pressured distraction that gradually helped him relax.

It took a couple of hours for the pups to complete their shift, and half of Q worried that he’d never feel them shift smoothly with him before the time came when he couldn’t shift back into human form at all.

Still, he eventually got himself under enough control to look up at James with a miserable expression and gained a kiss on the nose for his troubles. Q licked James and squirmed till he could butt his head into the alpha’s chest, snuffling at him a little to reassure himself.

“You’re doing good Q.” The omega whined, and turned his attention to sniffing at the now only faint bruises on James’ leg.

“I’m fine, you barely took long enough for me to get stiff.” It was a lie, and he knew it, but Q appreciated James making light of the situation.

“And here I thought you didn’t like the ambience, silly me.” Q managed, voice only a little shaky. James tugged his ear gently and stood.

“What do you take me for? Some sort of snob?” James stood, uncannily without any stiffness showing, and stood back to beckon Q out. “Although, I do believe I could provide you with better.”

You already have. Q thought, recalling their oh so lovely den, but didn’t want to ruin the light hearted moment with the desperation they’d both feel to be back in their safe space.

“Lead on then.” He replied instead, slipping only a little awkwardly from the ‘hovel’ he’d climbed into and stretching pleasantly before trotting out behind his mate, keeping a surreptitious eye on James’ gait to judge whether he was straining his leg or not.

 

-00Q00-

 

Not only had his mate become elusive in an unusual fashion, slinking off at odd hours to find secluded areas to wriggle around in mutinously, Q had also become a terror around food.

The pack still mostly ate together in the main hall of the den, the weather outside remained ferocious and left them largely stranded and huddling for warmth. James enjoyed the close-knit feeling of sharing old stories and mingling with the pack, most wolves did. He did notice however that Q took his food further and further away from the others.

Currently the omega was trapped in his fur, and he had chosen one special bowl with a handle that he seemed to have decided was his and hoarded close at all times, along with one fur he had dug out of some disused den on one of his roaming moments. James watched with amusement when the two betas on cooking duty announced that dinner was served, as Q sat up from his fur along the edge of the room, scooped up his bowl and trotted eagerly and determinedly to the front of the line. As a leader and pregnant omega, he was allowed to be served first, James moseying in behind him to create a gap between his mate and one of the young alpha girls who looked like she’d been about to try and scratch Q’s fur.

For once, it wasn’t to protect Q. His mate might snap first and forgive later if disrupted on his way for sustenance. The beta dolling out their food rations, Mona, smiled as she piled rice and stew into Q’s soon laden bowl. Q’s head dipped a bit with the weight and he turned and trotted back to his fur in the corner before setting to the food with a ravenous violence. James sat himself close, although not too close, with his own portion, surrounded by John, Tanner, Mycroft and the still-sequestered Ros and Lukas.

Most of the pack was in their skin tonight, even the children, and Q finished his food miles before the others simply from not having to bother with the human courtesy that was cutlery. Then, he went on the warpath. James eyed him sneaking near till the omega’s head flopped onto his lap demurely, ears back beseechingly and whining very gently as his tail thumped the ground. More amused than anything, James watched the ingratiating display for a while, Q wriggling closer over him when not turfed away and nosing closer with big eyes to where the alpha’s bowl was resting on his right knee.

“Go on then.” He couldn’t help doting on Q, the man was his mate, and they were eating rationed food whilst Q was pregnant. The situation was far from ideal and James watched with satisfaction as he threw a chunk of meat for Q. The omega turned gamely and scampered to catch it on eager paws. It barely touched the sides before being swallowed and Q was up again, pacing calculatingly around the edge of the pack.

He was far from subtle and the pack knew it. Some members that were nearer the bottom of their hierarchy started to wolf down their own food lest Q became a true terror and tried to bully others away from it. He hadn’t sunk to that level yet, James doubted he would and wouldn’t let him if he tried. If he became concerned that Q wasn’t getting enough food the alpha would start demanding it from others long before Q felt he had to. Instead the omega did the rounds of his begging routine. Anyone who glanced his way was a potential target.

His minions were almost painfully ready to share food, Q didn’t need to do more than sit next to them holding his bowl and whine before they each merrily donated some food to his cause. John offered his plate to be licked clean after he was finished eating but not before. Tanner lost about half his meal in the face of Q nudging hopefully at the beta with his begging bowl. Mycroft Q came back for twice, the alpha looking a little alarmed each time he gave away a morsel to his brother.

“Q,” The omega looked up from where he was sitting beside Lukas with his bowl and whining steadily at the man, the alpha was looking strained at ignoring the omega’s plight, and only maintaining his meal because every time he started to look in that direction Ros would halt him with a firm ‘don’t’ that Lukas listened to. “Come with me.” James got up with only a little stiffness, using his crutches was always more favourable at the end of the day, and gestured with his head down a side tunnel. Q trotted over to him winningly enough as if he hadn’t just pilfered food like a greedy pup for the past ten minutes, and leaned his weight against James’ healthy leg in support.

“You’re being a terror tonight.” Q looked up innocently at the alpha’s teasing.

“I’m hungry. They’re not giving away anything they don’t want to-“ The omega went on a small lament about food and James felt his guts twisting unpleasantly.

Looking down at the omega’s rich coloured fur as he walked, feeling the press of swollen belly against his skin, James couldn’t bring himself to be more than annoyed at himself for suggesting a winter pregnancy if it meant Q was left hungry and wanting.

He led Q down to some of the food store, cold or frozen little pockets of the mountain where food stored fresh, looked back at him before going in.

“You’d better stay here.” Q ducked his head in the equivalent of a pout.

“I’m not about to eat everything on sight.” But his following lip licking defied that point and James just smirked as he slunk into the room and out before Q’s self control could waver.

“Here.” Grunting a little, James dropped an elk’s thighbone onto the floor in front of Q. “At least this will give you something to chew on.” The omega looked a little bashful at the gift and sniffed at it before slowly shifting weight to his back paws and standing on them, bracing himself with his forelegs over James’ shoulders.

“Thank you.” Q licked his neck and chin, James took the opportunity to hug Q the way he would if Q was human. His hands slipped down and around to roll over the ever-growing expanse of Q’s belly, feeling the taut curve and soothing the cream fur there. Q’s nipples were growing and becoming more pronounced in his fur, ready to nurse their pups, and James found himself growling at the thought of it, their oncoming family.

“Whatever you need Q. We’ll be back in our den soon enough, then you can nest like you need to.” Nosing him briefly with what seemed a little embarrassment, Q eased himself to the floor.

“You’d noticed that then.”

“Hard not to, you’re always skulking off somewhere-“

“I resent that, I don’t skulk.”

“And bringing back that aged pelt from Lobo knows where-“

“I like it.” Q defended. James huffed a laugh and ruffled over Q’s pup-soft ears.

“Its hideous Q. Now get your bone and you can chew on it like the feral wolf you’re turning into whilst I defend your manky bedding for the night.” Q huffed a grump but his pace perked up once he had the large, solid bone between his teeth and carried it back to the main den with a faintly adorable spring in his step. James chuckled to himself, and did indeed spend the night in his wolf form giving his back to Q as the omega gnawed on the elk bone till he tired into sleep.

-00Q00-

 

“Ugh no.” James woke up beside him as Q groaned. He’d finished yet another shift into his skin, and although he’d initially felt some slight delight that it had only taken his pups an hour to change with him this time, when they finished their job Q lay half-rolled onto his front much like a carcass, unable to entirely move thanks to the fact that his belly was growing unmanageable.

He cast narrowed eyes at his mate, who was looking at him in both wonder and amusement.

“You did this to me. I used to be able to move freely of my own will.” James couldn’t hide his smile even to be sympathetic, reaching out to stroke Q’s hair. “Get off me.” Q huffed, amusing James further and pushing himself grudgingly onto all fours. The weight of his stomach dragged at him and with another discontent rumble Q pushed himself back till his arse hit the floor and he glared at James. Who was still smiling.

“Come on Q, don’t be like that.” It wasn’t that Q was soft for his mate that he allowed James over to caress and croon at his belly, no, it was because he couldn’t get away due to the multitude of lives in him.

“How’s everyone this morning? Nearly ready to go back to our den? Just a week or so now,” Q found himself absently carding his hands through James’ hair whilst the man spoke, the other hand kneading at his lower back.

“I’ll tell you how their feeling, cramped, like me. This one,” Q brought his hand from his back round to smooth over the top left of his engorged womb, “He’s in such a tight squeeze that whenever he moves it feels muted, like a rabbit kicking in a burrow.” James looked between mate and ‘pup’ avidly as Q spoke, his thumb caressing over there and smiling something incredible when he felt the stunted stretching below.

“And the others?” He asked, greedy for information on the lives they were going to welcome into the world in less than two months. Q sighed and rubbed over his right side.

“I can feel a couple here, one you probably can’t, they’re further in me merrily playing with my organs. They seem to like to kick at each other, always move at the exact same time but just off-sync enough for me to know there’s two of them.” His voice lost its morning grumpiness as he spoke. He’d had little to do the past few weeks whilst in the main den without any hunting or real forging work to do. Half the time Q would find himself simply pausing and staring off into the distance or at his belly, categorising the movements he felt and very glad that no one in the pack was really relying on him for anything much.

“I bet they’re two girls, sisters are always feisty.” Q huffed an agreeing laugh, watching James’ hand covering over the left of his belly. Somehow, it all felt real for Q in the last few weeks in a way it maybe hadn’t before. Affording himself the time to just sit and feel, and to give in to whatever depraved nesting urges he felt, seemed to allow him to just breathe and embrace their pups. Pups he’d managed to keep safe and warm and were now becoming all sorts of alive inside him. He couldn’t hide his rising excitement as he went on.

“Then we’ve got this lot. Q stroked over the lower, distended part of his belly. “There’s an odd bunch here, I can never be sure how many but I think three, maybe. There’s one or two that just kick all day, violent little buggers.” James pressed a kiss there as if that might help, though he smiled through it. “And then there’s Bear.”

“Bear?” James looked up a little alarmed. After all, bears were the most dangerous predators that the other side of the mountain had to offer. Q just smiled, warmly. He knew he shouldn’t have favourites, and didn’t really, but something about this pup’s activities he had come to find endearingly entertaining.

“Yes. He’s this one, here,” Q moved James’ hand to cup under the lowest weight of his belly, the alpha looking a little transfixed. “Lazy as anything, barely moves himself all day unlike the others, and then occasionally does one huge stretch that pushes these other two out the way and sends them squirming, then goes back to sleep. It’s really quite impressive.”

James’ grin was almost as impressive as their child, but the alpha turned glacier blue eyes on him, crinkled at the corners in that look that made Q feel like the blushing pup he’d been years ago when looking at his new mate.

“You’re besotted aren’t you?” Q huffed a laugh and shoved him away.

“As if you aren’t. Now go get me food.”

 

-00Q00-

 

Q having such a good appetite in his skin wasn’t something James would have imagined pre-pregnancy, or even a month ago. He was glad of it, but sadly still limited with their rationing. John, on his recent check over of Q, had frowned at the omega’s unending hunger.

“I’m going to release you from the rations, put you on double food, it isn’t healthy for you and if you’re feeling this much movement, it’s a good sign that you’ve got several hungry youngsters in there. I don’t want him to run out of energy in feeding them and not have enough strength left for giving birth.”

Q grimaced at that, and James grew cold at the thought. Though the mental image of Q being ready to pup in just less than two months left his heart in his throat in excitement. Hearing Q speak so lovingly and with such detail about the activities of their children even in the womb had left him aching for more, to hold and touch them, hear the sounds they’d make before they were even old enough to talk.

Every day now he’d ask after the pups as individually as he could. Q would wake up in a heavy, usually uncomfortable sprawl, belly protruding from whatever nest they had concocted the night before. He seemed bigger everyday at the moment. James would pet him to help the omega rouse and then check in with the pups. Their movements were incredible to feel, although they were often painful for Q.

“How are the ladies?” They’d jokingly named the squabbling siblings on Q’s left side, and he’d move on to Bear and the Hooligans along the bottom, Q’s laziest and most raucous inhabitants combined, before he’d ghost his hand over the top right of that swollen belly of smooth heated skin. “And you, little one. How’s Tight Squeeze?” Q would always smirk in a way James pretended he couldn’t see, amused by his alpha’s fascination for their squished seeming little pup.

He was enamoured with them all already of course, but the idea of one of them being squashed and surly and maybe needing that bit extra help tugged at his protective streak.

That was to say nothing of how he felt about Q at the moment. The omega was still up and moving when in his skin, but the effort involved was plain for all the pack to see. Clothing didn’t fit Q so much anymore, he could wear fur cloaking him but little else agreed with the swell of pups inside him.

His lithe Q looked deeply uncomfortable carrying several pounds worth of children inside him, and his stomach seemed to have doubled in size from even weeks ago. Pretty soon, he wouldn’t be able to shift back into his skin at all.

All of the omega’s movements were coloured with effort. A hand going to his back or one to the wall, slower movements in general and accompanying fatigue. Q didn’t do much anymore, his mind was still brilliant but drawn to distraction and forgetting what he’d been up to, leaving him a bit of a hazard and banned from sharp objects. Instead Q slept a lot when he wasn’t pottering around under the watchful eyes of most of the pack.

His frequent naps were usually accompanied by at least one or two guarding wolves. James stayed close more often than not, but allowed others to pile with Q.

Mycroft was a common companion for Q whilst the alpha organised or discussed pack details, Q’s head pillowed in his lap whether in fur or in skin, slumbering away.

A few of the young adults in the pack would use Q’s sleeping time as a good opportunity to nose around his belly, sniffing or stroking there in wonder, since Q rarely let them so close when awake. James would tolerate a small amount of it for the good of pack bonding before growling them away. Several wolves when piling with Q went to lick or nibble groomingly at his stomach and James had nearly bitten one of the beta’s ears off for it. Only he was allowed to do that to Q. Following those events, the omega would usually wake up to find his alpha’s pale wolf form half smothering him and grumble before going back to sleep.

The pack’s pups of course were fascinated, and spent portions of their day giggling over the movement they could feel beneath their fingers whilst Q directed their hands gently, or clambering over the round belly in their fur in a way that made James wince and hover and their parents call them away with gentle scolds.

All in all, it was a lot of goings on for his pregnant mate, who by the time John was giving the all-clear for James to take him back up the mountain to their den, was clearly doing his best to not go spare over being unable to nest.

He’d found Q burrowed in more hidey holes than he knew existed in MI6, and was relieved to have his leg healed enough now to take Q back home, where the scent of distressed restlessness would hopefully leave Q’s skin.

They were cleared to go at Q’s next shift into fur, and James left the omega waddling off into god knows where with a rather apprehensive Tanner as an escort, when howls finally broke through of the hunting party’s success and impending return from the mountains.

Mates who had had their partner leave, like John and one of their other beta couples, were ecstatic, though John hid it under his usual aplomb geniality and sarcasm.

To James, it was a godsend. He could get Q settled into their den and then be back for the hunting party’s return to help divide up the spoils. It would mean enough meat for Q, along with what he’d put aside to take up with them for the week; rice and root vegetables like potatoes that stored well, dried strips of meat to chew and hard tack; food pounded and dried into tough cakes that lasted throughout winter. Once Q was in their den, James would be making only passing trips to the main one to check in on things, unless he was desperately needed. He had organised to leave Mycroft and Tanner with Lestrade as defacto leaders in his absence, since he would need to be caring for a den-bound Q.

James could allow some of his time to finding extra food for his mate, already had plans in fact to help vary Q’s diet. With meat brought form the hunt leaving his pack satisfied for the remainder of winter’s clutches, James would be free to fixate on Q.

The alpha was more than ready for the opportunity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting and reading. This week's picture gave me some grief, hopefully the next one will be easier to work with!


	14. Prepare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seem to have moved to a very odd schedule, but never mind, I'll see this through.  
> This week's picture cam out quite cute, and we're on the home stretch now!

[](https://imgur.com/Fd7WLz5)

 

Flurries of snow were kicking up and screaming into the heights as Q followed his mate outside of the main den for the first time in about a month. James had been given the all clear by John that his leg was healthy enough to cope with taking care of a mate on his own. The beta doctor sniffed over Q briefly before allowing the omega outside.

Q had said his goodbyes to the pack in the morning, a whole lot of letting them pet his fur and belly, licking appreciatively at the fingers of those he was less close to and butting his head against those that he counted as his inner circle to transfer scents. There would still be visits from those that James and he were closest to; Q’s brothers, Tanner and Lestrade and of course John would remain their medic. For the rest of the pack however, Q wouldn’t be expected to make a presence until he was starting to wean his pups away from milk. The excitement in his pack’s eyes and their well wishes carried him across the snow with purpose.

Now that it was so close, the pack was becoming even more besotted with the idea of having pack leader pups in their midst, and the lot of them, children and all, left the den to howl their good luck on to the pair as they meandered up the mountain.

Ros and Lukas accompanied them carrying food supplies as far as the turn off to where they would return to the omega pack. There, the four wolves rubbed fur together in a timeless dance and went their separate ways. The spare food the other two alphas carried with them James would come back for once Q was settled.

As the familiar out cropping of rocks with the flat-ish slope in front of it came into view, Q met James’ blue eyes and turned to lick at his alpha’s muzzle happily. Even though their den was a little musty from disuse, it was familiar and comforting with their scents woven into the rocks and bedding.

Q shook snow off his fur and yawned, tired by their uphill trek.

“I’ll get a fire going, melt some water.” James announced, knocking a pot around lazily with his paw. Q trotted over to their nest and dug his front toes into the healthy pile of furs, pulling them around and to and fro. They needed some airing, and he took to the task of shaking them in his jaws and pulling them over the wooden rack for hanging as best he could in his fur.

Working in tandem, the den was sorted soon enough. Q found himself tired but still antsy, dancing his weight over his front paws. The basics of the den was done, but there was a lot left to do. He needed to nest to an almost visceral level and settled instead for gnawing on the bone James had found for him, now more of a knuckle than a leg bone, waiting for the furs to have some more time before he could begin arranging them.

The whelping area would need sorting, and Q wanted to finish the small amount he had left to do on digging out a drainage channel for the basin he’d smoothed into the floor of one of their offshoot dens months ago. James, now in his skin, came over to sit next to Q and smoothed a hand over the omega’s flank. Q huffed genially at the contact and rolled onto his side, paws helping to brace the bone and letting James pet and stroke over his belly.

He had lost more fur there now, exposing a better area for the pups to nurse from, and the process was a little itchy, leaving him rolling further, awkwardly onto his back as James’ blunt nails scratched and massaged him there.

“You’re getting pretty big now Q.”

“That’s an understatement.” Q grumped back, but with good nature. He could scent the protective, possessive pheromones coming off his mate and thought that were he in his skin, he would have been a little helpless to the pull of arousal. As it was he left the bone and turned over another quarter, belly squidging into James’ leg and flopping his head over the alpha’s shin with a huff.

With James’ hand slowly carding through his fur, he felt his eyes drifting shut, one back leg kicking out gently ever so occasionally when the puppies were moving.

 

-00Q00-

 

Q spent the first day in their den fixing the place up, digging a little aimlessly with his paws, and snacking. His hunger knew no bounds, and his pups were settled and heavy as if they could sense his contentment in being home.

Once James left to greet the returning hunting party and help sort supplies from their spoils, the omega had expected to be alone in the den. However he found himself disturbed in the dying light of the day by disgruntled shuffling coming from the entrance.

Luckily a few good sniffs revealed Sherlock’s scent and Q shook down his hackles, standing to trot and greet his the furred form of his brother.

“Sherlock?”

“Greetings, well, aren’t you fat.”

“Charming as ever, aren’t you scruffy.”

“Looks are for the weak-minded.” Sherlock allowed Q to approach at a slow, waddling trot and rub alongside him, taking his turn scenting over the omega before prodding his nose into Q’s belly.

The beta smelt of blood from old kills and the snow lingering in his fur, the scents of other wolves. Surprised, Q drew back.

“Have you even been to the main den?” Sherlock shook fur off his coat and began snooping around, eyeing over the den calculatingly.

“Should I have? You haven’t been here in a while-“

“Have you even seen John yet?” The beta glanced up, bemused.

“Should I? Is something wrong-“

“No no,” Q quelled the dangerous glint that had sharpened in his brother’s eyes, rolling his own a little at the taller wolf. “Why did you come here first?”

“You might have popped-“

“For one, that’s ridiculously soon. For another if I had and you’d come in before being invited James would probably do you in. Thirdly, _go to your mate_.” Q got up with the last words and clumsily used his paws to push Sherlock to the entrance, exasperated at his brother’s whims. “He’s waited long enough.”

“Fine fine.” Sherlock turned to look at him and gave Q a head butt and a lingering ear lick before turning to leave half-amenably.

Q followed him out just to be sure the wolf didn’t get sidetracked with something else along the way. John would likely be spitting in his quiet, passive aggressive way by the time Sherlock properly greeted him. They were an odd pair.

Still, it felt good to see his brother, have the hunting party back safely. Their pack was together and whole, it felt like a particularly good time to bed up in his den and start bringing new life into it.

 

-00Q00-

 

This late into pregnancy, and Q was almost too rotund to function in his skin. James watched with a wince of sympathy as the omega groaned rolling himself over, encumbered by his large belly on such a svelte frame.

“I’m quite tired of this. Help me.” James could only see Q’s arms and hands waving in a demanding if weak fashion from behind the swell of his belly, and walked over hastily. Q’s face was miserable, yet James couldn’t help rubbing a hand over the distended stomach before him, feeling a surge of pride and also a deeper heat at Q being helplessly full of pups.

“I know you hate it, but Blanca you’re gorgeous like this.” Q glared a little and whined, seeing no help coming from James. The alpha couldn’t help it, there was something maddening about watching Q struggle to prop himself up because of how pregnant he was. He did support Q the final way though, before placing himself over the omega to kiss him, feeling the press of stomach between them and growling at it, pleased.

“Trust you to be kinky.” Q muttered between kisses, none the less rubbing his dextrous fingers into James’ shoulder muscle and tilting his head back to give the alpha access to his neck. The offering was too much to resist, and Q let James lay him back down with a whine of only minor frustration.

He nibbled at Q’s neck and sucked a bruise there as he rolled the omega over with some effort, propping Q up on his knees with shoulders pressed into the ground. Q’s ruffled head turned to look at him, flush coating his cheeks at both the exertion and ministrations. They hadn’t had sex in far too long, caught up with injuries and the less glamorous effects pregnancy had on his mate; often enough meaning Q was threatening to remove James’ cock should it come near him again.

Now however the alpha sat back a little to view his masterpiece. Q’s belly sagged down to the floor in the position he was in and the omega was wet from merely a few touches and the scent of James’ rising arousal.

“You have no idea what you do to me.”

“I have some ideas of what _you_ could do to _me_.” Q offered with a sultry smirk and waggle of eyebrows. “Want to come and claim what’s yours alpha?” the words alone left him viscerally enchanted and James mounted Q without further comment save a reverberating growl from deep in his chest. His hands found the broad expanse of belly underneath him as he rubbed the head of his cock over Q’s hole, knowing it had been a while and that they’d have to go slow.

Together they paced themselves into a gentle rocking, James’ fingers easing the way for his cock till he could slowly bring them complete, buried deep in his already bred mate.

This was something new. Something they’d never done before and James cursed himself for not having Q like this sooner. Yet there was something delightfully novel in their coupling this way. So far gone, Q just let himself moan and feel his alpha stretching and taking him, James’ soul singing at his mate’s clear willingness and his hands cradling what he’d already put in his omega.

It didn’t take him long to climax deep inside Q, feeling Q shuddering his own pleasure around him and unable to give himself a reprieve even if he’d wanted one. Too wonderfully fat and bred to move himself away.

Q fell asleep shortly after, a lax elegance to his limbs splayed out around his plump belly.

James allowed himself to kiss and caress broad hands over the taut skin, adoring the squirms and wriggles of his probably quite squashed for space progeny, safe and warm within his omega.

 

-00Q00-

Used to being a light sleeper the deep, fatigue-driven slumbers of pregnancy had taken their toll on Q as much as the general fatigue that came from carrying multiple lives inside you. Waking seemed like wading through mud and his dreams seemed to reflect him dragging his paws though thick sludge that rose up to his chest, weighing his sodden coat down.

When they weren’t Blanca-given nightmares about two headed puppies or James being squashed underneath him with Q gravid with their children.

James’ cold hands curling around his swollen stomach was what tugged him glacially into waking. The blonde wound slowly around him as he entered the nest. Breath tickled the back of Q’s neck where the alpha scented him deeply.

Connecting James’ sudden appearance took some time for the waking wolf and he mumbled some half confused, half disgruntled noise. His fuzzy vision in the dark could barely make out James’ face when he turned. Their fire was burning low out of necessity to save logs and the world outside was a wicked storm once more. The cold wasn’t helping him stay awake or healthy in his skin, left him drained and lethargic.

“I’m back, are you alright?” James’ low rumble didn’t disturb Tanner who was snoring in furs next to Q, lying so strictly straight in his sleep that it was amusing to watch. James had taken to going out hunting for extra morsels for them to eat. Whilst Q was in his skin days, both James and John had insisted that the omega had constant company once more. As run down and lethargic feeling as he was, Q was glad of it.

“Mm.” Q hummed, one hand traipsing the tips of fingers above where James’ hand rested on his bump. The pups in him restless and stirring each other up, even Bear was kicking rather than rolling. Tight Squeeze was shifting weakly as if uncomfortable. There wasn’t really any room for them now. “Help me turn.” Q requested; wanting to give what he felt was his most squished pup some time on top.

But with all the laying down he was doing, rolling over was sometimes dizzying and exhausting. The last two weeks had been a steady demise into complete inability in his skin, and Q doubted that he’d be able to shift into his human form much longer.

Everything was so appallingly easy in his fur compared to skin, still more effort, but nothing like this. The pups’ wolf sides grew slower than their skins.

James’ hands assisted his huffing flop over, and sleep welcomed him back as Q nudged himself into his mate’s embrace. One warm hand caressed the small of his aching back and the other slid up into his hair, brushing it back in order to press a kiss to his temple. They couldn’t lie chest-chest any more with Q’s belly protruding, but the omega sought what warmth and comfort he could.

Tight Squeeze settled with its mother’s roll over and some wriggling subsided, freed from the extra pressure of its siblings. The idea of his pup being comforted soothed Q back to sleep, liking to imagine James’ idly stroking thumb moving to rub over the top of where the slowing rumbles were helped the baby just as much.

“Easy there Tight Squeeze, you’re doing good pup.” James mumbled, voice low and lulling as he spoke to their pup. “Just about a month left.”

Q moaned in displeasure as James dislodged him momentarily to bend and kiss over Tight Squeeze and all their other pups in Q’s belly as was his routine. Strict in his ritual as the sun’s orbit James always gave more presses of lips than was possible for Q to physically carry pups, just so none were missed. They had no idea how many Q was carrying after all; he’d only been able to solidly identify five groups of movement, only two of which he could be sure were single pups. The other bursts of activity were too close together to tell or too faint.

Shushing an apology James resettled Q comfortably against him, curving his broad frame over the omega’s own where possible to lend both warmth and protection.

“Just a bit longer left.” The last words were repeated into Q’s hair, that familiar tinge of concern lurking that James only let slip when he thought Q couldn’t hear him.

-00Q00-

Nearly every bone in his body regretted attempting a winter pregnancy as James watched his mate. Q was miserable in his skin: cold and unable to really enjoy anything, lethargic. The alpha brought up more and more logs for the fire, and had to do some insulating of the den best he could. Usually that was Q’s area of expertise, but the omega was a bit too grumpy and heavy to be willing to do much other than waddle to the whelping den and back to the nest, endlessly fixing things and perfecting the area. James left him to it, knew it was natural, and focussed on deciding if setting up another fire would leave them enough ventilation.

In the end, he decided to insulate the walls with furs. Slowly nailing them into the cave walls helped to keep in the fires’ heat better and somewhat settled Q’s chill.

The main pack remained content and, though rationed, under control. But none of them were pregnant and carrying a large litter. Thank Lobo that they’d hunted the bison when they could and came back with a couple of good ones to show for it. The prey was mostly scattered or gone on the mountains, not even leaving corpses behind that could be sniffed out before the snow covered them. The trek from his and Q’s den to their pack was still a harsh venture for an inexperienced wolf, though not enough to upend a sure-footed wolf like James. Not when he had a purpose.

One sole job occupied him: hunting. Food, of any sort, was being sourced at a pace reaching desperation. So far, no one had gone hungry from the main pack. So far, Q was healthy and able to keep eating. But he needed variety, and more, and to have stock aside for the appetite he would grow to have once their pups were out and suckling.

With MI6 residing at a high altitude James was left with little choice but to head lower himself into the forest below the slopes, where the winter wasn’t penetrating so devastatingly.

The alpha took longer and longer trips out, tiring himself, desperate to hunt good food for his mate and gather more necessities such as firewood. With the storms blisteringly cold outside it was a grim job but one he performed willingly. James could handle it. Q in his skin was struggling.

The cold of winter seemed to penetrate the den and Q had begun moving the best furs into the separate room off the back, protected by further distance from the outside. The babies in Q were growing faster than the thin omega seemed able to handle on meagre food and night after night James would return to Q exactly where he’d left him every time the younger wolf was wearing his human form.

Tonight was no different, except for the fact that James had managed to catch some small prey for dinner from the forest below MI6.

Fish and occasional roots for variety went down well and bolstered James’ confidence at their situation. If they could just get through the next month spring should begin to clear the weather and snow in time for their pups beginning to waddle around the den.

Just a little bit longer.

 

-00Q00-

 

For about three peaceful weeks the alpha and omega had remained mostly secluded from the pack now. Q only really wanted to take some short walks around the immediate vicinity with James shadowing him as if they were attached. The only visitors they’d had were their closes pack members.

The pair hadn’t long gotten back from one of their constitutionals and Q was letting James dote, brushing through the omega’s thick double-coated fur to smooth it out.

“When do you want to shift today, I’ll put some more logs on for when you do.” James asked softly, Q’s eyes were shut in a blessed out way, his whole belly rising and falling with every deep breath of a ready to sleep wolf.

“I don’t.” James’ motions paused.

“You’ve been in your fur three days-“ Q whined and started to squirm his way into a more upright position, stomach pushing into the floor. The omega turned piteous eyes at James, flicking his ears back.

“Its uncomfortable. This is better.” James couldn’t resist reaching out to thumb over Q’s cream eye patches gently, but still raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve got to try at least, don’t you?”

“You try.” Q grumbled petulantly, though he wormed his way closer to James and stuck his head into the alpha’s stomach. “This is better. I can barely move in my skin. It’s torture.”

“It’s not that bad.” Q grumbled pointedly.

“No placenta, no opinion.” James allowed that, apologetically rubbing Q’s head.

“Well I’ll go find an opinion that counts then.” Q groaned, flopping dramatically onto his side in a slow, fat roll that James grinned over openly since Q’s eyes were closed.

“Don’t bring John into this.”

“I can, and I will.” James ignored Q’s plead, bent to kiss his nose and got up. He left the omega grumbling in the nest and pushing his way under a mountain of blankets as he shifted into fur and left the den.

John and Sherlock had moved out of the main den back to their own one too, the doctor wanting to be within mad-dash range should anything happen with Q. A simple howl summoned John, and Sherlock, though the darker furred beta remained prowling lethally through the snow outside rather than coming up to the den. James waited outside as the smaller, densely furred beta slipped up through the snow, medical bag clutched in his teeth.

“Is something wrong?” James shook his head.

“I don’t think so. He won’t try shifting back into his skin, but it’s been three days. It’s not that he can’t, but he’s being stubborn.” John huffed a laugh and raised his brows.

“Q, being stubborn? Never thought I’d hear of it.” James grinned and led the way in. Sherlock remained on look out, though the alpha saw the dark-furred wolf watch them go into the den with sharp awareness.

“Hello Q.” John greeted the blanket mound that was Q genially, getting only a low growl in return.

“Now don’t be like that, you know it won’t get you anywhere.”

“Let him help Q.”

“Leave the growling to your mate, don’t let your reputation as my favourite patient be crushed now. Before today you’ve never growled at me yet, not properly.” John kept up a serenely jovial commentary as he shifted into his skin and went to sit near Q’s mass. James did the same, throwing a robe for John lest the man get cold but not bothering for himself. Q’s growl turned into more of a grumble and whine.

“Don’t want to.” The words were muffled beneath the mound of furs and blankets. John put a kind hand out where Q’s shoulders could have been, a gentle pressure.

“I know its uncomfortable, you’ve been doing amazingly and won’t have to much longer I imagine. But you know why you have to try. You need to keep shifting until you can’t.”

“We’re right here Q, even if it hurts. We’ll still be here.” James added softly, his own hand soothing over Q’s covered form softly.

There was a whine, and John began talking again but the shape under them shifted into a different form and Q was gasping.

“Fuck.” The swear word came through gritted human teeth and James met John’s eyes briefly before hurrying to uncover Q. The omega lay on his side, face flushed and beading with a little sweat, brows lowered in a cadence of pain.

“Q?”

“Are you alright?”

“Oh bloody marvellous.” The words barely made it out through clenched teeth, though at least Q sounded angry rather than traumatised.

“Does everything feel ok?” John reached to uncover his belly and Q darted a hand out to slap his away, pointing one finger at the medic whilst gripping James’ in a bruising hold with the other. Sharp green eyes slotted open.

“Don’t touch me, this is all your fault; James I could have won over.” John snorted at him.

“Well you have my deepest apologies, but please let me check you’re alright.”

“I’m fine, the little mongrels have shifted. One of the ladies is currently sitting on my bladder. Happy?” Q’s breath and voice caught in a grimace again and James was the one grumbling, maybe he should have listened to his mate, this couldn’t be good for him surely. John seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“I am sorry Q, I know you’re in pain, please let me look at you.

“I don’t think sooooo-“ the last word was lost into the oddest howl James had ever heard as Q shifted back beneath him, James finding his fingers oddly entwined between the pads of Q’s paw and the omega cutting off his loud, harsh howl seemingly in shock.

“Q,” John appeared both confused and a little annoyed. “You have to think of the pups. Just because it’s uncomfortable-“

“I didn’t do it on purpose.” Q’s surprised, quiet words cut through John’s tirade at the same time that Sherlock slid haphazardly into the den and skidded on his back paws before pouncing towards Q.

“What was that? I’ve never heard it before. Q.” The demanding tone was met by Q’s still slightly wide, shocked eyes. John sat himself back with a puff of breath and James looked at the medic impatiently.

“Well? What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing. No I think maybe Q has better instincts for pregnancy than I would have given him credit for.” John turned to the bemused omega. “Apologies, I mean it this time. If your shift forced itself, then-

“You’ve made it to the end.” Sherlock butted in, assessing the situation quickly. James was there too, but also further ahead. When pregnant wolves couldn’t shift back into their skin, that meant they only had a month at most of pregnancy to go. Q’s body was preparing to go into labour in a few short weeks.

“Q.” He muttered, hand going to oh so softly stroke his mate’s still slightly stunned head. “You gorgeous thing. You’ve done so well.” Relaxing a little under his mate’s adoring gaze from the shock of having your body disobey you, Q turned to John and leaned up enough to lick over the man’s fingers.

“Sorry I slapped you.”

“I don’t think I blame you. Besides, you’d have to do more than that to be worse than either of these two for treatment.” Sherlock immediately began to defend himself in an affronted manner whilst John chuckled and let the robe fall off, shifting back into fur.

James couldn’t take his eyes off Q, only barely exchanging pleasantries with the two betas as they left and acknowledging that John would come by to check on them in a couple of weeks, before allowing his world to shift solely to Q.

He’d have to let Mycroft and Lestrade know that he wasn’t going to be making an appearance any more. He’d invite the pair of them along with Tanner to spend some last time with Q too, as they wouldn’t be allowed once the pups were coming.

Q rolled over slowly beside him, paws drifting through the air until most of the considerable weight of his mate flopped awkwardly between James’ legs. Q settled there, huffing out contentedly and looking a little pleased with himself and at peace.

James could only bring his hands to that gloriously big belly half covered by blankets and spent an endless hour rubbing them over the curve and wriggles of their children held safely within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far!


	15. Life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was very delayed, apologies. I hadn't realised that this was the chapter where we finally meet the children! (Good story awareness, yup.)  
> So therefore: **WARNING** : Birth scenes, I don't think its gory on the details (somewhat unlike the rest of this story...), but there is most definitely a wolf giving birth and canine labour is a bit different to humans'. *More info in end notes, for any who are squeamish*
> 
> This would have been up earlier, but I decided to do two pictures. And when doing the second one (the first one you see) I reached the point of having done everything except James' colour when I accidentally closed down the program without saving anything. I could have screamed. But given that it was my fault for being an idiot, at least a valid lesson was learnt. Save your work kids, don't be an every-day daredevil like me.  
> Still, I'm happy with the re-make!
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

[](https://imgur.com/S1xFfyR)

 

Restlessness was dogging at Q sometimes. Everything was all prepared for, but he was a mix of tired and unexercised that bothered him. Sometimes, the most soothing thing to do was to go just outside the den entrance and lie down in the snow for a while, watching the wind whip clouds and flurries around in the sky. Nature’s theatre would help him calm a bit, the feeling of the wind rushing through his fur providing the sense of movement that really, Q was just to big to manage.

James seemed to understand well enough, and often sat with him. Sometimes they struck up a howl that the pack joined in with, singing their readiness over the mountain. It was a peaceful few weeks and the exclusive time with James felt like a treat he didn’t think he’d ever known since their first weeks together.

But the alpha was almost amusingly impatient for his pups now.

Q would relax in the snow outside, or in the nest at night, and feel the restless shifting in his stomach stretching at his skin and have mixed thoughts. He wanted to see his children, smell them and touch them and get to know them. To see them whole and healthy finally before his eyes. He was more than ready to loose the discomfort that came from carrying them around for five months. But part of him enjoyed knowing that they were all together, safe and warm and guarded by his skin and bones.

The world could be cruel, every wolf knew that. He wondered what lives his children would lead? He wondered if he would be able to know them for longer than his own parents.

Wondered if they’d be adventurous or homely, fall in love or love to lope alone? Would they look like James, act like him? Would they be forced into doing great things, forced into adversities, able to live a quiet but safe life?

The stars in the night sky didn’t have the answers for him. Winds whistled around the mountains with their songs that defied all other species and time and space, but gave him no knowledge.

Time was ticking closer though. Q felt ready to burst though each day brought no sign of it.

He thought often about Alec and Eve and their pups on the other side of the mountains, and how he’d love his children to get to meet and play with them, but how unlikely that was.

It seemed having too much time to think allowed his mind to expand on ideas that he hadn’t thought to have before. For the first time in the longest time, Q thought about the ice tomb on the top of one lonely mountain that shone in the setting sun and preserved the bodies of two wolves long deceased…

Would that be something he showed to his children? He hadn’t even shown it to James, though thought he might, one day. Would they get the same feeling of insignificance yet unending purpose that Q felt when he had looked in on that sight?

“What are you thinking about in that head of yours?” James asked softly as wind rippled their fur, leaning over to nuzzle into Q’s ruff. The omega rolled his head over to expose his neck in a satisfying stretch, licking at James’ fur briefly before amusing himself with the upside-down view of the mountains.

“Too much, probably.”

“You don’t need to worry Q. You’re going to be fine. They’re going to be fine.” Q hummed over that for a moment, breathing in James’ smell deeply. Q though to himself that if their pups got even an ounce of James’ steadfast, stubborn determination that they’d be okay.

If they got James’ loyalty, they’d be unbreakable.

“You know, I think they will be.” The omega sat up awkwardly and gracelessly and tolerated James’ amused chuckling with grace before turning to nuzzle into the alpha. “I love you, James Bond.” There was a softening of the alpha’s frame that he only allowed when Q was being decidedly sappy. The omega pulled back and bopped James on the nose with a paw cheekily before meeting his eyes. “You’re going to be quite the father, I think. And these will be the safest, most loved, probably most precocious pups in the entire world, but they’ll be ours, so naturally they’re already perfect. And you need to promise me that we’re going to be able to parent them and not just spoil them rotten, because after they’ve been cooped up in here all this time, I think they might be a little cheeky once they find the use of their legs.”

James laughed at that, prolonged and soft and just for Q.

“I don’t make promises I can’t keep Q.” With a chuckle of his own Q licked James’ nose and stretched to stand. His back ached, along with his swollen stomach and sore paw pads.

“I think I’m ready to dispel them now.”

“Don’t talk about it like that.” James grimaced gingerly, nibbling Q winningly. “It’s not just some, some process.”

“That’s exactly what it is. Messy, painful and long if everything is to be believed. And I might end up snapping at you.”

“I’ll forgive you.”

“Good. I accept no responsibility.”

“I accept your terms. It’s you that’s carrying them, going to have to go through that. Just,” The alpha paused them with a gentle nudge back in the den, eyes a little shadowed in something Q didn’t think he liked seeing in the man’s eyes. No words came, but they held each other’s eyes for a while.

Just don’t leave me.

Q brought their muzzles together and huffed gently into James’ fur. He nosed through the thick, glossy snow-kissed coat, dense and warm and smelling deliciously of his mate.

He didn’t waste time with platitudes. Labour could be fatal.

But Q had overcome too much else to die in such a maudlin fashion.

“Feed me. Before I sit on you.”

“A viable threat these days.” James admitted. “One that won’t last much longer I hope.” The excitement building back up in his blue eyes was ever so endearing.

“I won’t let your mockery keep me from dispersing young, you have my word.”

The pair teased their way through the evening and Q didn’t feel quite so restless after that.

 

-00Q00-

 

Q was meant to be the one suffering from pregnancy symptoms, but in that last month James picked up a few of his own that amused the omega no end. James had called up their closest friends in the pack; Sherlock and John, Mycroft, Tanner and Lestrade, even Ros and Lucas made an appearance from the omega pack, to a meal in their den to celebrate everything that had been accomplished so far.

It was satisfying on a lot of levels, and all of them spent the evening largely doting on Q and ensuring he always had food or a couple of bodies pressed alongside him. Lestrade was surprisingly keen to stay close, scenting Q regularly.

James tolerated two hours of the get-together that he had organised before starting to hover over Q. The hovering turned into sitting so that one of his arms bracketed the omega’s un-James-covered side.

Shortly after that James began flying into a snarling and air-snapping rage when anyone approached Q. The omega was as startled by this as everyone else.

“Really James, do be civil.” Mycroft berated, though he didn’t try to approach Q again, none of them did. Indeed James soon forwent all food and began growling low and constant in his fur, eyes sharp on the continued presence of the other wolves.

“I think you’d all better leave. I’d come over but-“

“No no.”

“That’s fine, just stay there.”

“No one make any sudden moves.”

Clearly James’ slightly feral guarding had all of their hackles up. Q knew each of them to be brave, courageous wolves in their own rights, but now they backed away and out of the den as if they were pups being told off for the first time.

“Thank you for coming! We’ll see you when we can!” Q called out after them, meeting a multitude of well wishes thrown back at him; luck for the birth, good health, more pups than they knew what to do with. Q howled a soft gratitude out and then glanced up at his gradually relaxing mate, both touched and amused.

It had been years since he had last seen James be so protective. Although in this case it was uncalled for, Q could never bring himself to dislike it.

“You great brute you.” Q chuckled fondly, nosing into James’ stomach and scenting there and lower, breathing in the rich strength of his mate. James slowly unwound but brushed off his behaviour briskly and turned instead to giving Q’s cream eye patches a thorough licking till they curled up to sleep together. Likely now alone together for the long haul.

 

-00Q00-

Trapped in his fur Q was starting to sleep more. Rotund as he was through the cream fur lining his stomach with teats beginning to fill, the alpha couldn’t blame him. James would have loved to lick his mate’s stomach, dearly, but it was becoming impossible. Q had developed the first of what the alpha knew to be the Funny Ways of pregnant wolves. When wearing his fur James evidently wasn’t allowed to put mouth and therefore teeth anywhere near Q’s belly.

Odd, and quite unreasonable behaviour to James’ mind. Q seemed quite surprised by it too when one day James was absently nosing him and the omega grumbled and rolled away. He’d tried again, only to be met with his mate rolling and then crawling across the floor away from him, ears back and grumbling.

The sight was so absurd at first that James had laughed and slowly chased him around until the omega had desperately and apologetically bared teeth at him with an aggrieved whine, tail tucking between his legs.

He tried not to be either affronted or guilty at the sight, at least not overly so, he could still scent Q everywhere else after all. But it did sting for all that he couldn’t understand it and nor could Q comprehensively explain.

‘Funny Ways’ indeed. When shifted into his skin the alpha’s nose, hands and everything were allowed to grace the vulnerable area.

The positive side of this was that James knew it meant Q was close to reaching the end of his gruelling pregnancy. Such things tended to occur in restless ready to pup wolves, and if Q was anything, it was ready to pup.

One morning he woke curled beside Q to scent something entirely new on the air, and on turning his attention to his mate had to restrain himself from falling into a puppyish dance of glee or tearing about in a panic. Q was starting to bead a few minute drops of milk.

They were close.

 

-00Q00-

 

Q was huffing as he pulled himself back up to their den after relieving himself outside. Everything in him ached and was exhausted. His body had been cramping and shivering nearly solidly for the last day and he knew that had to mean he was close. Battling against the storm winds didn’t help. James followed him from a respectful distance behind, aware that he was hovering and Q occasionally became ticked off by it, but also that it simply wasn’t safe to let Q go out even this far from the den alone. Not in this weather.

The last few months had been a mix of wonderful and aggravating for the omega but the last week had just become plain difficult.

The last couple of days unpleasant.

He’d gone off his food yesterday morning, finding it hard to even look at the meat or stews that James was putting in front of him. He’d tried to eat what he could, Blanca knew he would need his strength, but this lunch time he’d thrown up a bit and not wanted to eat since.

James was a little beside himself and spent a lot of time just sitting and stroking Q as he lay on his side panting. He’d learnt now to keep all affection to Q’s head and back, for some reason Q couldn’t quite fathom he disliked James’s hands on his gravid belly. It had started as just the alpha’s nose in wolf form, but had since extended. He was just; so strangely aware of the heavy weight in him comprising of vulnerable, wriggling life that he distrusted the feel of people touching them. 

After the last gruelling meters to their den, head down against the screeching wind that just made him want to hide inside, the omega finally reached the rocks guarding the opening from wind and shook off, panting heavily. James nudged gently up beside him, licking at his muzzle a few times and Q nosed into his scruff before heading into the den.

Nesting urges had peaked this week for him and Q had been more than relieved of the work they’d already done. Now he headed without pause into the dark, smaller whelping area he’d chosen and circled a few times before settling down on the thick bedding with a huff.

“You’re nearly there Q.” James murmured, coming to lie down next to him with his head on his paws. The omega sighed a bit, belly heaving with the action so full with pups.

“They say its soon when the milk comes.” He agreed, aware himself that his teats were full and leaking on occasion. He was glad, he’d been worried about having enough food for however many pups there were going to be, the sign of milk was a reassuring one.

Wriggling around, Q tried to settle with another mildly antsy breath out, then panted a bit. James lay close to him in stoic silence, but Q could smell his strength, worry and anticipation easily even over the pungent protective pheromones.

For himself, Q was just restless and anxious. He spent the evening getting up, tired though he was, and plodding around in circles and to odd places. James watched him and occasionally became his pillow when the omega would lie against him or drape over the alpha’s human legs with a whine and ungraceful sprawl.

“You’re doing well Q. Are you, is this?” Q’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt his stomach tighten all the way along its considerable girth and clench down to his back end. The pressure hadn’t been painful so much as certain and sure of itself, unavoidable. But there was no denying what this was now.

“I think so. Time for last preparations.” James sucked in a sharp breath, fingers tightening momentarily on Q’s fur before the alpha bent to kiss him. Q swung his head up for a lick of his mate’s cheek before forcing himself up and off the man.

“Right, you stay comfortable gorgeous.” James kissed his head again and slipped out of the whelping room without being able to tear his wide eyes off Q. the omega sat for a few moments breathing deeply, feeling the unusual stillness of his puppies and the small flutters of tensing in his muscles.

“Pups then.” He huffed a wolfish laugh to himself and couldn’t help the excited flutter of his heart that accompanied the nerves. However many there were, Q and James were finally about to meet them. A strange sense of calm or placid acceptance greeted him along with the nerves. Pupping was a long process, interrupted by the excitement of finally being able to meet and touch a new being. There was no way to speed it up or account for the length; only endure.

They would come when they would come, and Q would hopefully deal with it as wolves had for centuries. Millenniums.

With the odd calm that came from instinct Q pushed to his feet and went to dig a little in the nest, shifting it to the perfect position and settling down within when a contraction started.

James would be preparing a fire with their best, least smoky logs and setting up snow to melt, a liquid and light broth that Q could lap up to drink easily during or after labour. He’d also be readying spare furs, cloths, and checking the security of the den. They’d made sure that most things were ready to go since Q stopped being able to shift into his skin, but the final checks and preparations were always worth a little more time. Their plan was that whilst Q got settled down for the long haul James could check their safety, warmth and security, along with going outside to make sure John was on standby via howling.

Q focused more on what his body was feeling then the sounds of James in the den beyond. It was easier just to lie there and breathe, feeling shivers going through his body along with the rippling clench of contractions. Rather than think about what could go wrong, the pain, how long it would take. This bit he just had to survive and cope with.

After everything, Q thought that was something he was pretty good at.

James hadn’t been gone half an hour before Q felt the pain turn into worse pressure and he wheeled around to lick away some of the fluid that came before the most abnormal sting and burn of a stretch. Whimpering very slightly he collapsed back down to lie flat, breathing for a moment with his heart racing at the suddenness and anticipation as he pushed once, twice, turned to lick again and loosed their first puppy into the world.

Eager and quick and with his heart fluttering in excitement and worry Q nibbled and tore at the sac containing his slowly wriggling puppy. The taste barely registered as he focused instead on cleaning it up to get to the tiny thing quicker. The cord still attaching his puppy to him was bitten off without ceremony and then Q allowed himself to meet the little one. Once he had his tongue on its soaked fur and could feel it’s wriggles and hear small muffled mewls everything in him seemed to relax and melt. He’d done it! They’d done it!

If he was in his skin he might have been crying but instead nudged and licked his puppy eagerly closer to his stomach whilst cleaning it. The wet fur remained dark as he licked off excess fluid and gradually the pup dried into clumped furry patches. With pathetic, feeble wobbles of crawling movements that were more like wiggles the puppy rooted in on the nearest nipple haphazardly. Somewhat in wonder, Q watched it’s slow hunt through fur for skin and then teat. Once it managed to get a good grip, suckling on Q slowly and with endearing intimacy, it was all he could do to control his euphoria whilst continuing to lick.

The puppy hung on as Q whined gently at it and sniffed, licked, nuzzled, it’s tiny body malleable under his tongue as he examined it thoroughly. He kicked a bit when some more less painful straining forced out the mess of afterbirth and pushed it away with a back paw impatiently, wanting nothing but the taste of his puppy on his tongue. The small thing was dark all over like Q, light but currently bloody-pink coloured on the tips of the paws and in a blaze from his under-jaw down the belly, and in the tiniest of pale spots over his brows. Q wondered at the thought that this pup was a boy, a real, gendered thing, something that made it all seem so official. With the bloody scents in the room it took him a while to sniff out the young-alpha sharp scent of their son.

James must have decided to do a small thorough patrol of their den surroundings whilst he could, because even when Q yipped out happily for him the alpha didn’t skid in like an over eager father to be.

But that was okay, that was fine. He’d be here and for now the quiet was fine. Q spent a while whilst he licked the pup eyeing up the after birth before succumbing to the unpleasant task of disposing of it. The work was grisly but he couldn’t have the nest messy with the baby in it.

Being so focused on that, and then snuffling against his mewling pup’s fur till he knew every inch of him, Q didn’t notice the contractions kicking up in pace again.

As the pain grew more persistent and the urge to strain grew he sat up and lifted his back leg again to lick. The move dislodged his puppy into a sprawling roll before the clever little thing nudged back into suckling on a new teat. Q licked, whined and pushed and repeated for long, long minutes that seemed worse then before, only made better by the nudging of his one already safe pup and after a while the distant sounds of James returning.

“Q!” James, evidently able to smell the blood and birth in the air dashed in, pausing in wonder a distance away as with a whine the bulbous sac of their second pup slipped out of him and Q started cleaning once more in shaky relief.

-00Q00-

James moved slowly closer in wonder, remaining in his wolf form just for the sheer joy at the smells in the den. The new, fresh scents of two pups in the air overwhelmed the blood. Q’s pain could be scented too but it was a healthy, vibrant sort that filled James with as much pride as concern. There was already one dark pup nestled into Q’s round belly and sleeping and before his eyes Q had just given birth to and started cleaning another. When it’s first whuffles of awakening hit the air James crept forwards with a whine. New mothers could be precious with their space in wolf form. Q let James close enough though to rest his head on the edge of the nest and watch in wonder. He longed to go in, lick, nuzzle, anything, but was both mesmerised and unwilling to do anything to disturb Q.

The second pup gradually revealed itself from the blood as pale as snow. James watched as Q tiredly nudged and nuzzled it up towards the other and looked at their two perfect pups suckling pressed close together and contented. Like night and day.

“What are they?” He managed, keeping his voice low and soothing even as his tail lashed ecstatically around the floor.

“Two alphas,” Q breathed out, happily, tired, and let his head rest around them on the floor. “Dark one is a boy, the light one is a girl.”

“Two…” James had no idea if there would be more, John had said there would be, but he could be happy with seeing the two healthy pups before him. His heart longed for more, millions! But just seeing mate and pups safe and touchable was enough, more than enough. The slumbering dark pup woke as his slightly smaller sister toppled off the teat she had claimed and onto him, with a mewling whine, a selfish sort of noise that made both parents laugh, he nosed his way in for more of a meal.

Slowly James shifted into his skin, hoping to be less of a threat, and drifted a hand towards Q’s head. The omega watched him softly, panting still, and closed his eyes contentedly when James rubbed between his ears.

“Blanca you’ve done so well. They’re perfect Q, they’re beautiful, gorgeous.” Q whined a small happy sound and nudged his head into James’ hand further.

The alpha made sure to behave himself impeccably and do all that he could; he didn’t want Q to have to feel the need to chase him out. He disposed of the afterbirth for Q when the omega showed no inclination to eat it for half an hour. The broth needed some stirring and he brought a small bowl of it to Q along with one of cool water. Q only had a couple of licks of the broth but drank more of the water.

For two hours calmness reigned, the puppies remained sleeping and occasionally nudging and suckling. When one rolled itself away after letting go of a high up teat James was allowed to pick it up and put it back alongside his lighter sister under Q’s watchful eye. The round weight of the plump pup felt right in James’ hands even as he categorised his son’s fragile bones and limp, uncoordinated body. After he set it down the alpha became entranced in the scents of pups, milk and Q.

He thought for a while that they were going to be able to mock John rotten for his prediction of five plus puppies, and considered jokingly demanding that the beta produce an extra three for them from somewhere as promised, before Q began to pant heavily again.

Q whined when he went to leave and so he stayed whilst Q shook and tensed for twenty minutes, occasionally turning to lick himself. James remained taut himself, trying to project only calm, and focus on the smell of pups rather than the rising blood and pain in the room, the sight of red beneath Q. Heedless to his internal struggle however Q quietly and efficiently birthed their third pup with a shudder and rush to clean.

The new little beauty wriggled and mewled upside down and as Q gnawed off the cord and cleaned up the wet pup James could see she was another little girl, much more honey coloured then her sister, like the colour of Q’s cheeks.

Roughly licking her until their new daughter was lively and loud for a newborn Q grew distracted and went back to clean himself. James watched the slow, vulnerable progress of pup to nipple and smiled in amazement, throat tight with emotion.

“Three of them now, that’s,” But he never got to finish as in wonder he watched Q spend the next ten minutes forcing out another, paler pup, this one with little grey legs and patches. The omega cleaned it, sniffed it, cleaned all the others again and spent a long time smelling the two newest ones again before looking up at James.

“Matching set. Two alphas, two omegas, and this one’s a boy.” James’ breath left him in an astounded rush and he hurried to hold water up for Q. The omega drank deeply for a long time and then dealt instantly with the two afterbirths before James could offer to take them away. Feeling absurdly exhausted himself, James sat back but close enough to stroke and massage Q’s neck as the omega checked over all the pups again. Just when the alpha had started to relax however, Q whined and begun shaking and contracting once more.

“Again, Blanca.” James cursed, amazed and growing euphoric as Q eventually pushed out another male alpha, coloured so much like James that the omega looked up at him grinning wolfishly.

For himself, the alpha learned not to assume anything at that point. They had a litter of their predicted five, yet an hour later Q was labouring again and James became the official Puppy Minder when Q’s constant twitching and eventual standing and squatting produced a gorgeous tri-coloured, pale puppy. James gently collected and herded their five older pups, rubbing them gently and adoringly, whilst Q cleaned their sixth and chose a fresh spot to lie down in. James picked up their second omega male and placed him near a free teat in the now crowded accommodation that was Q’s stomach.

Six pups. Six!

Outside the storm howled on as James brought Q more broth and water and removed the after birth when Q was just too tired to do anything with it.

Within the small nesting den the temperature remained cosy and the scents strong, the noises familial; suckling, licking and quiet breathing. The subconscious mewling of pups as they ingratiated themselves needily to their mother. In the main portion of their den James could hear the wind screeching over the mountains and felt the bitterly cold temperature in the dark when he poked a nose out.

What a night to have pups on. He thought, amused by the drama as much as concerned now that he had six puppies to look after along with Q in this weather. Hurrying back to them, James gave Q a long, soothing massage and wondered how soon he would allow James to fully meet the puppies, how soon the omega would shift back into his own skin. James had an hour to relax into the scents and sights in the den before Q started to grow restless again.

“Q?” The omega was grumbling, whimpering a bit and kept standing up, turning around, sitting to lick at himself. James could say nothing to soothe him or even understand until he noticed that Q was again contracting, shaking, starting to pant rapidly.

It went on for longer this time, and to James it seemed that when Q eventually did lie down the pup wouldn’t be pushed that final amount out.

“You’re doing good Q come on.” James coaxed, quietly. After a tense age Q finally managed to drop the pup and started quickly to clean it, but even to James he could tell there was something wrong, unnaturally still when Q licked and licked and nudged at the small thing, smaller than the rest, whimpering, finally turning to look up at James with wide panicked eyes and a whine of plea.

The alpha hurried over to his shaking mate and still pup and picked the second tri-coloured boy up. He was dark like Q with honey and cream on him. Feeling a wave of horror at the limp, tiny body James hurriedly grabbed one of the cloths set nearby and wiped at the fluid on its face, rubbed it firmly on the back and chest as Q sat there making noises that sounded like crying.

James’s heart was tight and his mouth drawn in frenzied torture when the pup finally flinched and mewled as if aggrieved. Q darted forwards and licked the puppy where James held it on his lap. Gradually it came alive more and was wriggling under the attention. Fatigue and relief swamped through him as Q finally collected the pup in his jaws, unbelievably gentle, and carried it delicately over to the others, settling down amidst the mewling melee of seven tumbling pups and licking them all carefully once more. His moves were calmer now, reassuring himself and soothing, and James took the chance to gather more clean furs and bedding in case Q needed them.

Seven children. James could hardly believe it. The sheer number of them snuggled into Q. And when Q next stood and laboured a bit with less pain, he was relieved when only the final afterbirth and a rather surprising about of fluid and mushy blood was expelled. Q left it well alone with a small, half-shy look at James for help and the alpha swiftly disposed of it.

Along with the other afterbirths Q hadn’t dealt with James put the remains in a lidded pot, ready to be left out for the mountain crows when the wind died down. He changed the soiled bedding from under Q and replaced it with fresh, plush furs. Together they moved the pups to the new softer nest and Q again nosed at them. James slowly let himself into the bed beside Q and checked the pups over carefully, sniffing them individually and offering them and Q nuzzles and kisses.

Their last pup was a final omega boy leaving them with three alphas and four omegas: two girls and five boys.

James released a slow breath in wonder as he looked at all their shifting bodies and Q’s finally sleeping face, and couldn’t quite believe his eyes.

-00Q00-

Q woke to the strange nudging feeling of many tiny noses pushing against his skin. Groaning, his fingertips stretched and scratched against the fur beneath him and he blinked.

Fingers?

Eyes flying open Q took in the seven warm bodies pressed against his and mewling and whuffling gently, and the sight of his own pale skin once more.

“There you are.” Q’s head turned at the soft, deep voice and met James’ beaming, proud face. His eyes were a fantastic blue as he leant in closer to the omega and pressed their lips together. Q let out a soft, surprised and wanting noise at the feel of his mate’s skin against his own, the touch of fingers entwining with his. Almost at the shock of it after so long Q found himself slipping back into his fur. James chuckled and stroked his ears instead briefly, easily accepting his mate’s fatigue and shifting into his own fur. They licked and nuzzled for a moment, Q assuring James’ rather amusingly tentative body language that he was welcome in the nest. The alpha’s concern was quite sweet really.

Q turned his attention belly-wise as the several eager noses slowly dragged themselves like ungainly tadpoles, nudged and mouthed till they found their way to food and latched on.

“That’s a lot of puppies.” Q reflected, watching all his little slowly wriggling and suckling young nestled atop one another. The act of them nursing was strangely soothing but Q still couldn’t resist hefting himself up to lick them.

“You were incredible Q. I never thought,” James broke off, voice still amazed sounding and nudged his nose into the darkest pup’s mewling belly gently. Feeling gratified by his mate’s wonder, Q slowly checked over each of the puppies and counted them off as he tended to them.

They smelt new and warm were a mixture of strong or dewy scents. The largest pups were the two alpha boys, followed by their pale and grey omega boy. Their omega female and the last boy were the smallest and Q took extra time checking him over. He appeared okay, healthy and James was already nosing and guiding him towards a better teat that wouldn’t leave him squashed under Q’s back leg.

“Do you want me to call John? Check them over?” Q curled himself around as much of his puppies as he could without squashing them and sighed blissfully.

“Not yet, just let them settle with us.”

“Good.” James’ pleased rumble sent him peacefully to sleep.

 

[](https://imgur.com/wg9N23D)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double picture, I couldn't resist doing one of the happy family!
> 
> *Extra warning* Afterbirth is Consumed!  
> If there was any distaste conjured by mentions of afterbirth, well, this is due to the difference of wolf Vs human mentality. Wolves natural inclination is to eat it as the placenta etc is nutritious and this is how they help free their puppies from the amniotic sack, etc. For the purposes of this story where humans shift forms, they're much more intrinsically canine than us regular folk, and thus there's both a bit of 'waste not want not' and 'must clean up however possible'.  
> Although apparently some people do eat the placenta after giving birth, so there you go!
> 
> There will be one more chapter of this story, and it's likely to be a long one as all the kids get their names. I'm hoping to get it done about this time next week, but I'm saying that with a pinch of salt given my recent un-timeliness. If I don't get it done in that time, I'm off on holiday for a couple of weeks, so I'm afraid it could end up as a longer wait. I will finish this story though, so even if theres a few weeks, I promise that I shall do so.
> 
> And after all that thank you for reading, and I shall see you at the end!


	16. Progeny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it!
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and support, kudos and comments, and I really hope you enjoy the last chapter. It is possibly the sappiest this story has ever been from it's harrowing beginnings.
> 
> I'd like to give a brief shout out to EJL16, who without fail took the time to comment on every chapter. Thank you so much for doing so. I always set myself the rule that I will continue to post as much as I write of a story regardless of whether or not anyone leaves feedback, but having someone do so sure as hell made my work more enjoyable! So you are awesome and kind and generous, and thank you so so much.
> 
> I'd have dearly loved to give every character a spotlight to round this story off, but with things heading for 10,000 words I would have ended up doing a whole set more chapters, so without further ado, enjoy the Naming of the Puppies.

[](https://imgur.com/L5LB355)

Soft snuffles of sleep filled the small whelping den. Q had fallen into another deep sleep in his fur, looking almost boneless. Pressed against the omega’s stomach was a pile of seven perfectly formed puppies. James couldn’t stop smiling, stroking them gently at times and smirking at the one that had fallen asleep suckling. His other hand caressed over the thickly furred head of his tired mate. Their smallest puppy, the little dark tri-coloured boy that James had brought to life with his heart barely beating in sick horror, was now sprawled on top of his largest brother and looking as healthy as the others.

Reluctantly, James left the den area. He hurried to pull shut the hanging divider between where his newborn children and mate rested so vulnerably and the main den area. The hide draping kept the room dark and warm and nest-like for Q.

On his way to the exit, James started the fire back up; neglected as he napped alongside Q earlier, and set the broth back on to heat up. Q was going to need to eat and eat plenty to keep his strength up. James could barely believe that his svelte omega had been carrying around seven puppies all this time. It was a large litter for wolves, and especially by Q’s rather debatable standards of health.

James put some fresh furs aside for the next time they needed to change them in the den, and took away the soiled ones Q had given birth on. There was no hope of washing them with the amount of water he could heat in the den, so the alpha tied them up and dragged them outside.

He didn’t like leaving his mate undefended, but with the dawn only just creeping over the mountains not a soul was around. The wind had died down as well. James tugged the bedding to the Offering Tree before dashing back to the den so fast he was out of breath.

A quick check inside assured him that Q and all pups were still mostly sleeping, a few more suckling once again. Trying not to let the sight distract him, the alpha turned again to the entrance, this time leaving wrapped up in his skin and carrying the pot of afterbirth away from his den before uncovering the lid and heading home. The crows would make short work of it now that the wind was low.

Once back at the den he checked once more on his still slumbering family. A family now, not just a mate. Alec would be impressed with him. Maybe he could convince his friend and old pack mate to visit. His own pack would in time need to see the pups too, and the omega pack.

Giddiness lightened his steps whilst pride lengthened his stride as James left the den one last time as the sun shone bright over the peaks of the mountains.

Throwing his nose into the air, James let his soul sing loud in a howl.

_Pack. New life_. He went on to howl the call seven times; once for each pup. There wasn’t a concrete way to count via howls. The pack in the main den or their own private ones took only about a minute to hear the call and rise ecstatically with howls to repeat himself, listening to how many calls James made from the beginning.

Once he was done, only too happy to hear the delight and joy spinning through the air from his pack, James sat back with a deep sigh and closed his eyes, feeling the weak but present heat of the oncoming spring sun warm his eyelids and letting the wind and song of his pack ruffle through his fur and ears, soothing his bones.

He couldn’t imagine feeling more at peace than this.

 

-00Q00-

 

Decisions were becoming nearly impossible for Q; did he spend time in his fur sniffing and licking his pups, or did he cuddle them close with his hands and feel the solid yet fragile weight of them.

He and James had been caring for them for about a week now. Just a week and Q couldn’t fathom life without them. They were already a full time occupation.

Although tiny in comparison to James and Q in their wolf forms, the fuzzy bodies of their babies were endearingly plump if stumpy of leg. Their feeble dragging of themselves slowly to wherever Q settled down was almost heart wrenching. Usually, Q gave in and helped them find their way. James was even softer than the omega, almost instantly responding to the sound of a pup stranded inches from a teat and hastening to help them reach their destination. Aside from feeding them, which was nearly constant and left Q gobbling down whatever James put in front of him, they had a near constant cleaning job with seven messy pups who were a long way from being able to manage their own expulsions neatly.

Q himself only left to do his own business, running outside when he couldn’t hold any longer and rapidly scrambling back in to neurotically count his children and ensure none of them were cold or scattered about the whelping nest. He stayed in the spare den with them, dark and warm and nestled around their wriggling bodies.

James was with him almost as much, but had to leave to cook and howl updates to their ecstatic sounding pack. Q couldn’t bring himself to leave the children long enough to even howl, and refused to let James summon any visitors, even John. He could tell the alpha was bursting with pride and almost giddy with the prospect of showing off their young, but Q needed it all kept quiet and controlled.

He was tired in a very similar way to when he was pregnant, though it was less vexing. Mostly, he was transfixed with their sons and daughters.

The firstborn boy, an alpha, was already sizing up to be the biggest of the lot. Large and dark like a boulder, he commanded space amongst the others from sheer presence, but tolerated well being a steppingstone and cushion for his siblings. He was the calmest being held, other than their small, darkly tri-coloured omega boy and his lighter tri-coloured brother. The alpha boy who looked like James was an amusingly haphazard menace.

In fact James spent most of his time chasing the boy down. He could be found roaming to all sorts of far off nonsensical places and then crying obnoxiously to be rescued. He regularly fell off the teat and would clumsily and blindly push his smaller siblings out of the way to find his way to a new one.

Their two girls couldn’t be more different in terms of appetite. The pale alpha gobbled up whatever she could, and readily gummed away on fingers, blankets, fur or toes should she come across them, or her own siblings. Her omega sister had a smaller appetite, though often stayed glued to Q’s side and rarely had to do much other than stretch to get to her next meal.

But it was surprisingly their grey-legged omega son, rather than the smallest brown one, who struggled to get enough to eat. Neither of the two had brilliant appetites, but the grey-legged boy, although one of the largest pups, seemed unmotivated and often required James and Q’s help to get a proper meal, coming off the teat easily and getting knocked out the way.

Both parents fretted over him, but he was eating and passing motions and when he squealed had a good set of vocal cords on him.

“They’re just so young.” Q said yet again, nosing into his alpha girl’s belly as she toppled onto her back and then tried to uncoordinatedly eat his nose. “How are they so young?”

“They’re fine Q.”

“But they’re small. And they can’t see or hear. I don’t want anyone touching them. I’ll bite them.”

“Not even John?”

“No.” Q exaggerated the word, unable to quite express his desperation to keep them safe and warm and everything quiet and calm. He stood up and tried to not step on anyone as he moved around to put himself between the pups and the entrance of the den subconsciously.

“Okay Q, okay.” James’ desire to get them all checked over was understandable, good even, but he didn’t push it, caressing over Q’s increasingly matted fur instead.

 

-00Q00-

 

Although it had only been over a week, James thought that parenthood suited Q rather well. The omega nested brilliantly and was observant and dedicated to their children. Children that at the moment James found more than a little overwhelming. They were minute and vulnerable beyond words, only able to pull their blob-like bodies around after Q’s warmth and cry pitifully.

James lost more time watching them and chasing after an astounding miniature look alike of himself to even think about what on earth they were going to name all of them. Pups needed to have names before their first full moon, because on that night the pack would howl their names to the heights to welcome them into the pack. Full moon, however, was only two weeks away and he was so busy worrying about making sure they all ate and that Q was kept fed that it left room for little else.

The alpha wanted them checked over for his own peace of mind. Their struggling pups; the little brown one that looked heartbreakingly like Q and their grey-legged larger omega boy, might benefit from John looking at them, and so would James’ nerves.

However as much as he wanted it, even mentioning it triggered Q into a worrying level of instinctual stress to protect pups and den from any and all outsiders. James should have expected it from his mate, and couldn’t blame Q, and often felt the same way himself.

In this matter, he was more than willing to trust Q’s instincts for now; since James was a little bit worried his own weren’t even making sense. He was so proud of the seven little beans they’d created that he wanted to carry them all down to the main den for all to see or have the pack come up here.

Such things weren’t right.

And as well as Q was coping with motherhood, the last thing his mate needed was stress. Q was exhausted and had already lost some of the pregnancy weight through the demands of his litter.

So since Q seemed to be able to cope with their pup’s needs, and even the alpha could work out to re-direct an errant pup back to a teat when needed, he focused his efforts on getting to know his frighteningly young children and taking care of his Q.

 

-00Q00-

 

Q was taking some time in his skin to stare and fuss over his puppies, as he was wont to do half the time to give his slightly abused nipples a break, he only had milk to feed pups in his wolf form, since he wasn’t a female, and it was a convenient distinction when he was tired of having vulnerable areas tugged about. Some of his little monsters had begun growing tiny teeth. This would serve them well, but wasn’t as much fun for their mother.

Q set down Big Bear, his ongoing nickname for their largest pup, and picked up their pale little alpha lady. She’d probably inherit Q’s alabaster skin when she shifted, and Q thought already about sunburnt cheeks as he lifted her up and pressed his nose to her stomach. The pups smelt different in his human form, a unique scent that all puppies seemed to have and that melted his heart a little.

“Good morning, yes yes,” Q murmured as she mewled and wiggled, and moved to touch their noses together, only to see the bleary slits of two eyes blinking damply up at him in some confusion. “ _Blanca_ , James! James come here!” His urgent cry left James crashing into the room tense and ready for anything, only to be met by a slightly guilty looking Q and having a puppy turned to him sheepishly. “Sorry, no danger, but look, her eyes are open!”

“No,” James sounded astounded as the tension melted out of his frame and he sort of collapsed, still graceful as ever, into the nest and collected the offered pup. Murky blue eyes looked over the alpha before the little lady gave a full body wriggle and closed them again. James lay back and rested her on his chest, eyes meeting Q’s with a smirk. “They’re blue like mine.”

“All their eyes will be blue at first.” Q corrected before James’ ego could inflate. The alpha poked him with a foot as Q lifted up his other daughter and kissed her on the head. “Not this little one yet.” Holding her under his chin with one hand where she happily curled scenting at him, Q slowly went through his children one by one. “No, no, no, aha! Of course it’s you, so controversial aren’t you?” It was their poorly-eating grey-legged pup. The little omega sniffed at Q’s nose curiously and whined a little bit till Q kissed him. “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?” Q put both puppies down on James’ stomach, the alpha fumbling for them, and reached out to snag their little James look-a-like, who was again wandering off towards Lobo knows where. “Ah, and you, I might have known.”

James took a moment to be amused and look adoringly into his children’s eyes after he was handed them.

Throughout the course of the day, the lot of them had opened their eyes, save for their darkly tri-coloured baby.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re only a little bit behind and that doesn’t matter at all, we’re here to look after you.” Q mumbled sweetly into the younger omega’s fur, kissing at him.

Thankfully he opened his eyes the day after, James didn’t look like he could handle the stress of their youngest being even more vulnerable. Not that sight seemed to be particularly helping the others, they were almost clumsier than before now that they were starting to aim towards shapes and missing more often than not.

 

-00Q00-

 

“Q, gorgeous,”

“Hmm?” The omega replied, distracted, nuzzling at his white and tri-coloured son and beginning to feel dirty and run down.

Their children were two weeks old and becoming more mobile and more confident of their vision. Q couldn’t believe how quickly they were growing and developing. They were able to almost stand up now for weak and wobbling periods, though it was more amusing than successful.

They were ravenous however, and it occurred to Q that he’d been so lost in them that he’d done little more except roll in the snow occasionally to clean himself.

Yawning and scrubbing a hand over his face and into greasy hair, Q winced and turned his attention to James, putting down the puppy in his hands but feeling the multitude of them scrambling ambitiously over his legs.

“Sorry, what?” James’ eyes turned soft and he reached to pull Q into a hug, despite how the omega must smell.

“You’re exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

“You need a bath. And another meal. And to sleep.”

“All I do is eat and sleep.” Q pointed out as James pulled him up. “No, no I can’t leave them-“

“Yes, you can. They’ll be fine for ten minutes. I’ve already filled that basin you dug with water-“ Q realised belatedly that he hadn’t seen James for a while but had barely noticed, so unendingly focused on his children. He must be more exhausted than he’d thought. “-You built it for that purpose didn’t you? One bath, and then you’ll be right back with them.”

“You’ll stay with them?” Q asked, unable to fight James pulling him up anyway and leading him away.

“I will, and you’ll be able to hear them.” His alpha’s soothing words helped Q whine but not grumble as he was led out with some support, looking back occasionally at his very very young and exceedingly small children. Thank Blanca they were sleeping right now. If they’d been crying for him he would have lost his nerve.

“Ok.”

James took him to the second of their offshoot dens. Q slumping a little on the walk but melting even further at the smell of some herbs in the hot water poured into the basin in the floor.

“Damn that smells good.” James chuckled, pressed a kiss to his brow ever so gently, and helped Q settle into the achingly welcoming water till he was sprawled best as he could be in the basin. An indecent noise escaped him and James hummed in amusement again.

“You take as long as you like. I’ll check on the blobs.”

Q felt his lips up-tick in a smile at one of the many affectionate nick-names they had for their offspring before tipping his head back and letting the heat of the water soak into his sore skin through muscle and down to his bones. Blanca he’d needed this. James always knew.

In fact James clearly knew him entirely too well, for the alpha emerged back to gently shake him awake with the sort of smile that Q only saw when they were alone and it was late at night or a down time of his heats.

“You haven’t even cleaned yourself have you?” The alpha teased gently. “No, stay there, you’ve more than earned this Q.” Quelling the omega’s attempts to get up and return to his new job as mother, James eased Q back and grabbed a cloth to start running over him. It chalked up into white foam in contact with the water and Q moaned again when he recognised the scent and feel from one of the gifts they had received all the way back during his first heat. James had a truly sinful set of skills when it came to luxury, and Q became putty under his hands. A firm grip massaged his aching shoulders and neck, down tired arms and soothed over his chest. Q curled a little away from the touch there until James softened his grip; he may not be producing milk in his skin, but the area from chest to stomach was aware the abuse his puppies were giving the area in his other form.

Reading him as well as the direction of the wind, James softened and soothed and continued down, cleaning Q’s feet and up long legs. His thighs were particularly tender and Q winced away from anything but the gentlest of touches around his genitals. Having his back washed on the other hand reminded Q what a natural James was at using his hands and the omega was a pliant puddle of limbs by the time his mate next spoke, voice warm with deep affection.

“Alright, head back.” Freshly warm water was poured through his hair, missing the basin but Q couldn’t care at all for the guttural moan that left his throat and hearing James rumble in pleasure over him. Strong fingers combed through knots and worked a cool liquid through his whorls of untamed hair till they hung in wet weaves around his face, smooth as water itself.

“There you are.” James finished with washing Q’s face and rinsing him with the last of the cooling water after removing the metal plaque that allowed the water to run into the channel and out of the den.

“Next time I’ll give you one of these.” Q murmured, thinking it only fair to gift his mate in return.

“I’d be far too impatient the moment you started putting those damn hands on me.” James almost growled, and Q flashed a tired grin, pleased. He’d manage to find time to give the alpha a massage though, no matter what the man said. Q was helped, weak limbed and boneless, out of the bath and dry before James led him back to their secluded whelping den and pups.

The little bundles of stumpy legs and dense fur were asleep in a pile and Q counted them effortlessly, seeing the clean bedding they were resting on, before being wrapped deeply into a fur and curling up beside them.

“You’re amazing. Thank you.” Q murmured, already drifting into sleep and snagging James to lay down with him. The strong, firm feel of his mate’s muscles and bone against him contrasted beautifully with the fuzzy pups he could feel trying to worm their way into the warmest spots they could find. James kissed at his head again, and Q could feel the smile against his skin as he drifted off to sleep.

 

-00Q00-

 

The names were a problem though. James lay with his large wolf head being pawed at by the minutely clawed feet of his children. They were a mixture of bold and tentative. The lot of them were more than confident around Q, but seemed a little unsure of what to do with their non milk-providing parent. They were only just starting at three weeks to realise that play was an option, though some of them were still mostly spending their time sleeping. Their play, when it happened, was more lethargic and clumsy than anything. One little bugger though, their honey-coloured daughter, had managed to brave tugging at James’ ear.

He should tell her off for it, if she still wanted to do that in a month or so it wouldn’t be quite so endearing, yet now it was more amusing to watch her topple about from the corner of his eye. Q was laughing at the sight, eyes crinkled in a look of love but mouth wide in glee. Big Bear was splayed over the omega’s chest legs akimbo and deeply asleep.

“She’s going to be a handful. Not to mention _You_.” Q’s tone of endearment defied the words as he scooped up the son who resembled his father one-handed. The little pup wriggled in an aggrieved manner that had James cracking a wolfish grin.

“They’re not the only ones.” James remarked, closing his eyes against their dark tri-coloured pup’s flailing paws that ended up with an utterly graceless plummet face-first into the floor. The puppy yelped his displeasure and Q tutted at him gently but reached out a hand to soothe the imagined wrong none the less.

There was a clump of their three palest pups all asleep in a pile of snow-powder coloured fuzz that nearly camouflaged with the white fur they were atop of. James couldn’t believe how much they’d grown already, and now their naming day was officially only a few sleeps away.

“What about names?” James broached the topic he had been mulling for the last while. Wolves found it bad luck to name children before they were born, but now he’d almost wished he’d thought of _something_ at least. “We can’t keep calling them Dark Tri and You beyond the full moon.”

Q huffed out an exhausted breath and James almost wished he didn’t have to put another burden on his mate, but at least this was the good kind of stress. Or would be. If the alpha was capable of thinking of any name in the world at all.

“Blanca I know.” He ran a hand through his hair, the other releasing You, their affectionate name for James’ lookalike little monster, to cup over Big Bear’s back. “I can see now where my name came from. Mummy must have been going spare, and there was only one of me.” James grinned over at him, shifting into his skin to alleviate his sensitive wolf nose from the curious teeth of his daughter.

“Late birth?”

“A few hours prior to moonrise on the full moon itself.” Q cracked a grin over at him. “You?”

“I was about a month. Good thing too, my parents couldn’t agree on a name, fought about it until one of them howled James just before the other howled Bond.” Q laughed at that.

“I wondered how you’d got your two names. Holmes came from generations back for me and the trend stuck… Blanca. Are we going to have to call them all something Bond-Holmes? We’ll be howling their bloody names till dawn.”

Q’s mildly horrified expression had him bark a laugh. He liked the sound of it though, and his eyes flicked down to where the two wakeful omega pups were beginning to trip and worm over each other beside his knees to curl up for another nap. His large hand covered them both when he rested it on their fragile backs and dense puppy fur.

“I like the sound of that.”

“You would.”

“They’re _ours_. The world should be made to listen out all night for them.”

The sentiment of the words struck deep in the quiet den, and Q’s hand reached to press over his, eyes meeting James’ with that soft, bright look of charmed devotion that was only so rarely seen outside of this den.

“You’re right.” Q raised his brows then with a strong breath through his nose. “So, no pressure, future names of the fist alpha-omega pups to be born to pack leaders in nearly a decade and all,” Q gestured with articulate fingers whilst still keeping his hand on James’, eyes looking over their children. “Any ideas?” Those emerald eyes flashed back to him and James cast his own around their young, bereft.

“Not a one.”

“We’re in trouble then.”

“I hate to think what Mycroft would say.”

“Ugh don’t, I can just picture his disappointment.” Q bemoaned, covering his eyes and groaning.

They may be being a tad dramatic, but with only days to spare, and after spending the last nearly two months entirely secluded from the outside world, James doubted that there had been such an important decision made since Lobo and Blanca decided to cross the mountains.

 

-00Q00-

 

“Quinto? After you?”

“No. Blanca no. Here, this girl’s yellow though, and we call her Honey, what about-“

“If you say Bee, I swear to Lobo we’re breaking our bond.”

“I was going to say Honey, you heathen. Bee? Who names a child Bee?”

“Well your name is ‘Q’ for Lobo’s sake and the pack’s already got a Rabbit.”

“And whatever the hell Tanner’s parents were thinking.” James grimaced at the thought, and so the process went on.

“James. In all seriousness, if we name a child Alec, we will never hear the end of it.”

“What about A- _lex_?”

“Little better.”

“Well you’re the one suggesting _Bear_.”

“He looks like a bear! Plus it’s a sweet name-“

“Of a carnivorous, wolf-killing predator.”

“Actually they’re omnivores if you must know, like us.”

“We’re not naming our first born son after something that once, no, _three times_ tried to kill _you_ , and once _me_.”

“Darling, I love you, but if we avoid everything that’s ever tried to kill one of us in the past, we’re going to have a very short list of names.”

“What were you planning on naming them? Rock and Snow? _Cold_?”

“How about Winter, this one’s white!”

“Q. For all that your own name is an imagination of a thing, not to mention your own creativity that I know you possess, you come up with the most boring names on the mountain.”

“Well I’m so very sorry for not wanting to name our children the like of Fonceran and McTavish. Besides, Q? Imaginative? Really? It’s a single bloody letter!”

And so the cycle would progress yet again. Usually by the time the naming discussions were becoming heated, the pair of them were pacing around the den lifting up and putting down puppies and gradually becoming more irate. James loved every second of it.

If Q continued to use that whip of a tongue of his, not to mention come up with endearingly awful suggestions, the alpha might just have to tear him away from the puppies and into a side-den to have his way with the man.

Only the knowledge that they had less than four days and no names stayed his resolve; it really was getting out of hand.

 

-00Q00-

 

Some of the puppies were becoming unmanageable. Well. One of them.

‘ _You_ ’, James’ replica, was having a day of it. And of course it had to coincide with James making a run to hunt them something fresh to eat given that Q had pretty much eaten them out of their stores and was in a near constant state of hunger. Having seven puppies was demanding. And messy.

Q had woken from a nap to find the bedding completely soiled with his children’s motions and grimaced at the less advertised aspects of raising young that no one had thought to tell him. Of course he’d helped youngsters with accidents before, but he’d never had to deal with seven puppies that were far too young to toilet outside.

Resolving to start attempting to teach them to at least all go in the same area, Q stood carefully as he could and watched his sleep-suckling puppies tumble off his abused teats.

He’d felt bad the first time he’d had to dislodge them from their meals, but with seven of them there was always one of them on the go when Q was in his fur and interrupting their meals had become a necessity for life.

Trying not to step in any mess or on any puppies Q tripped his way over the furs, narrowly avoiding tumbling onto You who was chasing his feet with a frankly adorable play-growl.

“Just for that you’re having a bath first.” Q admonished, reaching down to poke his son on the nose and smiling when the lad startled and fell over his own paws. “Menace.”

It was all fond though. And with one last look to count them all he headed to the fire and checked the temperature of the water. The main den area was noticeably cooler than his cosy whelping den, but the fire was going strong. He and James near constantly had water heating over the fire now, in case they had a need to clean the furs, den floor or themselves. He tried not to bathe the pups when at all possible, since the cold from having a bath might chill them and over-bathing might not suit their fur, but to be honest they were smelling rather ripe this morning.

Setting up his dugout bath Q went back to collect his puppies into a woven basket and the dirty fur to be scrubbed after he was done with them. The convenient puppy-carrier had once been used to carry heat-gifts back from the Offering Tree when he and James had had their first at MI6. The squirming, smelly balls of fuzz that were his progeny grumbled and whined about being bundled on top of each other and hefted to another area. On leaving the whelping den their little damp blue eyes widened and the lot of them silenced in unsurety of the new environment.

“Yes, that’ll teach you.” Q murmured, and set up shop in the bathing den. He put down the basket of now rather heavy pups. They were all reaching about the length of his forearm now and weighing in around the size of a small rabbit. Apart from Big Bear, who was exceeding all expectations.

“Alright _You_ , come on.” Fishing his rambunctious son out from the other more shell-shocked pups Q held him carefully as he wriggled and gave him a gentle but thorough scrubbing in the water. _You_ clearly didn’t like the activity overly and winged and mewled loudly in his distaste. “Yes yes I’m horrible aren’t I, wanting you clean.” Q remarked back. It took pups a while to speak the more complex human language, and currently all of their methods of communication were instinctual bleatings and some minor body language. Watching them grow was fascinating.

Q finished with the now morose boy and gave him a rub with a dry cloth before wrapping him up in a clean fur where he sulked. Q smiled at the sight and went for the next pup. Gradually they all became clean, but not before You had managed to squirm out of his confines and topple yelping into the basin. 

“For Blanca’s sake!” Q squawked as he hurriedly fished his now sodden and crying pup out and tucked the boy safely on his lap, the other hand still holding their palest girl aloft. She grumbled a bit about having the attention she was receiving stop as Q checked the crying lad over. “You’re alright, just trying to give me a heart attack. I know I know.” He gently dabbed dry around his son’s face and then re-bundled him in a drying cloth. “Well if you will squirm…” He muttered, keeping the young one close now as he finished with the better behaved pups of their litter. “Honestly you’ll make a worse patient than James one day.”

Finishing up Q put all the pups together in the basket and scrubbed the den fur free from as much muck as he could, ringing it out and dumping it to the side as he emptied the basin.

“Alright, to bed with you all.” Q eyes the squirming mass of his children in the basket and carried them back to the whelping den, leaving them temporarily in the basket so they could warm each other before returning to the fur. The soaked thing would need to air outside to dry and Q braved the exit to the den in his skin so that he could carry the bundle easier. The air outside was frigid on his den-warmed bare skin and Q made quick work of gathering the fur in both hands, bare toes going numb in the still dense snow as he flicked the hide out…

And saw a yelping ball of yellow-tinted fur flying through the air.

“Oh Blanca fuck!” Q shouted and flung the fur away, lunging for where his three-week-old monster of a son splatted with a muffled thump into the blessedly soft powder of the snow and neatly disappeared. “Oh Blanca, shit, Blanca damn it, there you are! Thank the heights, for Blanca’s sake you little demon!” Q’s frantic hands found his puppy without difficulty and wrangled the mewling, snow-covered boy close to his chest, hurrying to turn and stumble through the snow back towards the den, checking him over for injuries and finding only a disgruntled, cold puppy who was now petulantly winging and trying to get closer to his mother’s heat.

“You’ve got Lobo’s luck I swear…” the words petered out slowly and Q stood out in the cold for a moment holding the boy up to his face. The pup in his hands met his mother’s eyes with impish ones of his own and stretched out to try and mouth Q’s nose. “My own little Lobo… Can’t be quite that obvious, it’s a big title for small shoulders, but what about, Lupo hm? Luke, Louis..?” His soft inquiry was met by what could only be a whuff of a bark and more squirming.

Cradling the boy against his chest once more and shivering, Q went back to his whelping den and unloaded his now sleeping pups from their basket, stroking his hand over their omega girl. Cradling a hand under her he scooped her up and looked into her blinking awake, dusky-blue eyes surrounded by honey coloured fur.

“What about Bianca, or Belka… I like Belka, a subtler derivative.” Naming pups after Lobo and Blanca was popular throughout wolf history, but Q rather thought that his and James’ pups had more claim to the names than most. “My Louis and my Belka.” Q murmured softly, a smile spreading gently over his face as he looked at the two pups.

James arrived back not long after he had managed to get Louis completely dry and the lot of them fed and asleep onto a soft new fur.

“One rabbit, as requested.” James announced as he came into the whelping area. Snow was barely shaken from his coat and the alpha had the slightly frantic look of a wolf that had rushed home. Q rose to lick at his muzzle and beckoned him into the small offset den.

“Come here, I have a proposition.”

“Should I be worried?” Q huffed a laugh and ferreted around amidst his mound of puppies, seeing James shift into skin from the corner of his eye and sit down. Grasping his mate’s miniature in gentle jaws Q walked rather slowly to rest the pup in James’ lap with delicacy. It seemed a serious moment somehow, presenting names that he’d now fallen in love with to his mate. He dithered and then went back for his second named pup, James watching him with some bemusement. Once she, too, was safely deposited in the cradle of his mate’s legs and muscled arms, Q straightened momentarily.

“How about…” He ducked his nose down to nudge at the paler yellow of his son. “Louis, and,” He turned to do the same to his daughter. “Belka. What do you think?”

James’ eyes drifted from his down to the sleepy balls of fluff on his lap. Strong fingers coursed over their fuzzy bodies and tilted heads limp in sleep for a gentle inspection.

“I think, two down and five to go.” Q relaxed at the sentiment, and caught James grinning at him. “Naming them after the greats? I like it.”

“Well, it seemed fitting.” Q offered, a little bashful but glad. He’d been calling the two little ones Louis and Belka for the best part of the last few hours and didn’t honestly know what to do if James didn’t like them. One of his alpha’s hands reached out to stroke the fur of his cheek and Q turned to nibble on his fingers groomingly.

“We’ll get this done yet.” The alpha claimed, and Q hoped he wasn’t wrong.

 

-00Q00-

 

Three days to go, and another tempest outside was reaching levels that James couldn’t quite believe possible this late into the end of winter.

He stumbled back inside against the vicious push-pull of the wind and was met with the sight of one perfectly out of place puppy staring up at him from tottering paws. Their pale-tri boy blinked short-sightedly towards the height of his father’s full grown lupine body and whined his way into a winging, warbling howl fit to match the whipping winds outside.

James’ instinct was to howl back, soft and low and putting his nose against his son’s till the boy startled at himself and fell over with a yelp.

“You like the wind do you, little hurricane. Hurricane…” James snagged the pup up in gentle jaws and trotted to the denning area where Q was going spare, flinging blankets around the cavern and raking long fingers through increasingly dishevelled hair. “Lost something?” James asked, amused, as he set their roaming child down and nudged him towards Q.

The omega looked around, frazzled, at his words and then went nearly limp with relief when he saw the toddling pup.

“I swear to Blanca I can’t close my eyes for a second.” He scooped the boy up and mock-glared at him. “You’re behaving like Louie. And one of him is enough. I need to make a bigger wall between this and the main den, if one of them gets outside-“

Swiftly cutting off Q’s building tirade before the omega could become apoplectic with worry, James calmed him with hands on bony shoulders.

“We’ll put something together right now. On the bright side, I have another name.” Distress mollified quickly into eager curiosity and Q grinned.

“Oh? Yes?” A bit apprehensive where he hadn’t been before, James reached out to stroke their child’s chin. “I found him howling at the wind. Hurricane.”

“Hurricane.”

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re the one who wanted less objective names.” Q teased, and James pushed him gently. “I think it’s perfect.”

With three puppies named and four left to go, things turned less ‘wait for inspiration to strike’ and more into an all out attack.

Now Hurricane had a name, it seemed even stranger to have his so-similar tri-coloured brother nameless. Q watched as James rolled the pup gently around in his goliath seeming hands.

“Our luckiest little life.” Q offered, contemplation on his face.

“Our lives have been full of making luck our own.”

“So its as good a theme as any. An important one for him too.” Q summarised after James’ agreement. “Chance? Felix?”

“Too _feline_.” James counteracted. “Asher? Faust?”

“Faust…” Q perked up and James smiled, knowing they had their fourth name.

The pair of them took to putting their named children in a line and murmuring their names to them occasionally before turning to regard the bundle of three miscellaneous puppies; the biggest dark boy, the grey-legged male and their stark white girl.

Any name the two could come up with for their oldest daughter sounded far to obvious to suit her enigmatic looks. James and Q went round and round in circles over her name before moving on to their next endless seeming debate of their firstborn.

“We have a child named after Luck, we have them after Lobo and Blanca, we have one named after this dismal winter, there has to be some other inspiration amongst that.” James despaired. “In all of Endurance no wolf has struggled to name their children this much.”

“Well, we do have seven, that’s seven times the work. It’s a feat of Endurance all on its own.” Q punned, and then paused, eyes becoming distant. “We’ve always endured, through this winter, being apart-“ James growled at the mere memory of the bleak time. “Even my Run, all I could do was endure. What about a name with ‘endurance’ as a meaning?”

The idea appealed to James. Not to mention that, although leadership bore no real relevance to age, as the firstborn to Pack Leaders in a decade, this strong boned and dark furred son of theirs was likely to need to call on his parents’ endurance more than most with the pressures of the pack weighing on him.

“The closest name to that would be one of the old-names from before the Great War. Outlast, maybe.” Back before the War, in the times after Lobo and Blanca had crossed the mountain, wolves used to be names after physical or behavioural attributes: coat patterns or personalities.

“Let’s put it into a new-age version, like Louis and Belka. There’s no sense living in the past.”

James toyed with the idea, running through words in his head and letters. “Atlas?” He settled on, and glanced at Q, who’s contemplative expression turned appraising.

“Yes. Yes I like it…” Q found easily their largest pup and hefted him up, the boy was calm as ever, and gazed docilely into his mother’s eyes.

“But,” James prompted, seeing the word all over Q’s face.

“But I still like the name Bear!” Q whined, cradling the boy into a cuddle that he wormed into contentedly and fixing pleading eyes on James. “I called him Big Bear all through being pregnant, and now it’s stuck.”

James was hard pressed on the best of days to ignore Q when he pouted, let alone when the man was holding their firstborn and beseeching James whilst talking about a long, hard pregnancy. He didn’t ask Q how he knew that their oldest pup was the one they had nick-named ‘big bear’ during the pregnancy, there were something’s that Q would just know that James couldn’t. Still, the alpha sighed.

“I don’t want a child named after an enemy! If you can soften it into a name then _maybe_ -“

“Bearnard.” Q replied instantly, firmly, clearly having thought about this a fair deal. James groaned, though his eyes smiled and his lips twitched up as he rolled his neck.

“Change it to _Ber_ nard and we’ve got a deal.”

“Bernard it is.” Q beamed.

“Atlas Bernard.” James corrected. “I like the ring to it.” Q looked a little dismayed.

“James, you can’t be serious.”

“Why not?” Q’s expression morphed to open-mouthed disbelief at James’ smirk.

“Atlas-Bernard Bond-Holmes? Really James? I know we joked about being out there singing all night but-

“An important name for an important person.” They went back and forth for a while, but James wouldn’t be swayed and Q shook his head but agreed with a faint smile, still looking a bit as if he’d walked into a nightmare that was vaguely entertaining.

That left just two puppies, and two days. By this stage the pair had been squirreled away in their own little world for just over three weeks with their children and well over a month, nearly two for Q, since they last had physical contact with their pack. James kept the news up as best he could, scheduling their now-dreaded full moon howl with two pups still unnamed. The pack asked for Q’s voice and the health of the pups and John howled a suggestion that he visit.

But what with Q remaining protective and the fact that they needed all the time they could get to give their children names appropriate enough that they had some fair standing in life, James didn’t even bother asking Q if the medic was welcome before howling back that they’d arrange something after the full moon. He would work on Q’s latent hermit-ish-ness then.

 

-00Q00-

Q paced around the main den, two puppies under his arm and Louis chasing after his feet as James stirred stew and offered their grey-legged child licks from the spoon. They were trying a little bit of weaning the children onto broth to help save Q’s sore teats from the pain of puppy teeth, not to mention that nearly four weeks after giving birth the omega was dropping weight at a rate that frankly alarmed James.

Atlas-Bernard was chewing on a strip of dried goat hide, Faust tugging determinedly at it from the other end but as unable to move his brother’s bulk as a molehill could shift a mountain.

The omega skirted around where their alpha girl was batting at a forged metal ball on the main nest and stared down at the pup on James’ lap.

“All I can think of is that he’s the colour of the ice sea when I first crossed it coming back to you.” Q gestured helplessly. “Save for the yellow, that’s more like, I don’t know.”

“Sand. It’s a sand colour.” James supplied. But Q hadn’t seen sand and wouldn’t know. Sand only formed on the edges of the warm sea in southern climes, beyond the Tropics where wolves lived in harems. James had gone there once, long before he met Q, Just as Q had seen the ice-sea alone before coming back to James.

“Well that’s all I’ve got.” Q grumped, plonking himself on the floor beside James and immediately attracting a small swarm of puppies to his lap. The whole lot of them started clambering onto and over him, trying to jump up to lick at his face and falling back into their hoard-like pile. It was their common behaviour now whenever either parent came within climbing range.

James thought of how their puppies were gradually being named after facets of his and Q’s lives, their values and beliefs, their adventures and the world around them.

“We could name him after the sea, we’ve both seen it without each other. Down in the south they call the sea Kaito.”

“What was it that Eve used to say?” Q mused, tapping fingers over his puppies as James offered the spoon for the hungry little terrors to lick and bite at. “She used to call it Mor, the Morgan sea, because it was in the bay like a circle. Or something from their old language.”

“Alright.” He’d grown used to the idea of flexing names around in the past week and was constantly teasing words together and apart in his head. “How about Morkai, for the two seas.”

“Hm, exotic, I like it.” Q picked up their last unnamed son and looked into the boy’s grey-blue eyes, as he was wont to do when they named them. “Morkai.” James smirked at Q’s smile. “How original, excellent.”

“Good.” James agreed, and felt a weight of relief lift shortly before the next wave of trepidation struck. Now they just had one more to go, but it was only a day and a half to the full moon.

 

-00Q00-

“She’s hiding her name from us, I swear it!” James’ tense voice jolted with each rushed step to the front of their den. Q followed him, looking back at times towards the now-reinforced den where their puppies remained. There were several whimpering noses poking out over the top of the wall wanting to be part of the action.

The pair wound through the narrowing of their den entrance and came out into the just sun-tinted horizon. The red glow fading into a purple and star-ridden night was breathtaking as usual. From down-slope Q could hear the excited yips and yammers of their pack congregating. Along and slightly lower on the crease of the mountain from them, John and Sherlock sat (well, John sat and Sherlock paced) waiting a respectful but eager distance of thirty or so meters. After the distinct lack of company for so long, it seemed abnormal to see other wolves. Longing for their company snagged Q in a way he hadn’t known he’d missed.

_Well, they can come up afterwards._

Swinging his attention back to James Q could hear the alpha muttering.

“She’s hiding herself, like all those stars and moons out there in shadow.”

Recently, Boothroyd and some of the Omega pack had invented a device called the Telescope, a device that could show worlds and stars and suns beyond the bounds of the sky. James had been both consternated that the dots of light he’d known for years turned out to be their own little worlds, and fascinated by the idea and look of them. Q had been a little beside himself with excitement.

“Do you remember any of their names?” James turned to look at him in a slightly frazzled manner that Q felt himself after the omega’s words. He pressed on. “One of those moons would do for a name, she’s hiding herself like they are. And she can represent the future in that way.” Q said with more confidence than he felt. Boothroyd had lectured the pair of them on all the names the Omega pack were now giving to these celestial bodies over a year ago, but Q had been too awestruck to recall the names now. “What were they called?” Q pressed, watching the light of the sun die it’s last and the moon swing to take control. James briefly closed his eyes.

“Calypso.” He near-whispered the word reverently. “Let’s call her Calypso.”

“Beautiful.” Q breathed out with not some relief. “…Nobody need ever know that took us three and a half weeks.”

The two wolves turned to each other and huffed relieved laughter at the ridiculous of their most recent battle to be won: the naming of their own children. As one, when the sun was swallowed below the mountains and the moon began to rise ghostly and bright in the night sky, they swung their heads proudly to face the heavens and howled out their best.

_New Pack; Atlas-Bernard Bond-Holmes, Calypso Bond-Holmes, Belka Bond-Holmes, Morkai Bond-Holmes, Louis Bond-Holmes, Hurricane Bond-Holmes, Faust Bond-Holmes._

The names weren’t easy to howl, as letters and words never translated quite the same as emotion did. After singing the name of each of their puppies, the pair paused so the pack could howl it back, then so on until all were done and as one all the wolves on the mountain called out their joy and pride.

Relaxed in their accomplishment, Q turned to nuzzle James before gesturing at the pair of wolves down-slope from them.

“About bloody time Q, I thought you were going to start barricading the entrance.”

“Ha bloody ha, give me a minute.” James laughed as Q wiggled back in to nose and nudge and reassure their demanding children, then turned back and scurried out of the den. “Will you guard here?”

“Of course.” James’ knowing sardonic grin as he sat in place was allowing. The alpha had been running around on the mountain at times in the past few weeks, Q hadn’t run for months. Licking James’ nose in gratitude Q turned his head to the slope and leapt off towards his brother and friend.

The cool, fading snow was crunchy on top from where the sun melted it away in the day for the wind to freeze it at night and it crackled under his paws as he ran. Wind whipped through his fur and all too soon and not soon enough he was crashing with an ungraceful tumble into Sherlock and John’s wiggly enthusiasm. The three traded scents and whines for a long minute until Q felt his spine prickle being so far from the den. He turned quickly after that back to where his mate sat tall and steady on the mountainside. An impenetrable seeming force even from this distance guarding their children.

“Come on, want to meet them?” Q called over his shoulder at the pair and ran off, hearing behind him Sherlock sigh a dramatic and exaggerated ‘if I must’ whilst John exclaimed ‘well it’s about bloody time’.

Laughing all the way, Q led them up slope and nuzzled with James whilst the others caught up.

Their fur tangled and their muzzles rubbed on each other’s and the smell of their family and the mountains married them together.

 

-00Q00-

 

“Some of them leave something to be desired.” Sherlock remarked as Louis barked at him and tried his very best to maul the older wolf’s forepaw. However, the beta swished his tail around to curl over Belka and Morkai snuggled up against his thigh, belying the sting to his words.

“He looks alright to me, they all do, especially this guy. Can’t believe they’re from the same litter.” John held Faust alongside Atlas-Bernard and eyed them wonderingly, held ever so gently yet critically in his sure hands.

James and Q handed out bowls of stew and rice for the other two wolves and set little dishes of hewn-stone on the floor filled with a little broth and softened meat for their puppies. Calypso tucked in quickly whilst Hurricane walked into another bowl, tipped it over, and proceeded to try and eat from the same one as his sister.

“They’ve got a long way to go yet.” James smirked as he spoke, trying to nudge Hurricane back to his own bowl. Q caught Louis as the little alpha ran full-pelt towards the bowls and quickly put puppy and dish in the bracket of his own legs lest the glutton decided to try and bully his siblings out of food.

Sherlock and John helped them feed the sprawl of youngsters and chatted late enough into the remainder of the night that the extended family fell asleep in a pile in the main den. Puppies squashed themselves in where they wriggled towards the warmth between bodies and weighed down the adults with clumps sleeping on their chests or legs. Small limp weights of slumbering future that didn’t know the mountains beyond their own den.

But oh, how they would.

[ ](https://imgur.com/weq7zSS)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist a picture of the pups in a slightly more grown up form, so from left to right we have Belka, Morkai (above), Louie (below), Hurricane, Faust, Calypso and Atlas Bernard. I had a lot of fun with their frivolous names, but honestly struggled to name them more than Q and James did!
> 
> Whilst I have no direct plans to continue this verse, I often can't leave well enough alone, so you never know!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading.


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